Blue Magic
by Tellur
Summary: Ancient prophecies are set into motion when Liara meets Harry during an illegal observation of the recently discovered Humans. A vicious cycle has to be broken in order for the galaxy to advance to the next level. However Harry has some unfinished business on Earth and school to attend first. H/Hr pairing, Sibling relationship between Harry and Liara. First part of two.
1. An Unexpected Observer

_Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology._

Free after Arthur C. Clarke

* * *

**Disclaimer: I own neither the Harry Potter nor the Mass Effect franchises, nor do I claim any rights to them whatsoever. I don't know the legal mumbo jumbo but I'm pretty certain HP is owned by J.K. Rowling and ME by Bioware/EA. Obviously I'm not making money out of this. As the whole story here is a single entity I won't repeat this disclaimer in each chapter.  
**Also I might draw upon the ideas of others, both professionals and hobbyists like myself, so if you read something you have seen somewhere else – it's probably not mine. Over the years I have read a lot – both commercial and non-commercial fiction – and even trying to remember where I've gotten a certain idea would be futile. If I remember, I will give credit where credit's due. If I don't, please forgive me and drop me a note so I can remedy the oversight.

**AN:** I decided to write a lengthy AN at the end of this first chapter since I didn't know how to properly divide the necessary from the merely potentially interesting aside from the obvious. If you want, you can skip to the end and read the AN first; I won't mind.

What I want to say in advance: I'm not a native speaker so please forgive me the occasional error. I like to believe that I have improved since my first foray into writing half a year ago but I know I'm still far away from where I could and should be. If someone feels he or she is up to the challenge to be my beta please let me know! Thank you for your patience.

Ah, and if this first chapter seems a bit angsty: it's the only one in the foreseeable future. The rest will be much more upbeat.

* * *

**Blue Magic**  
**Chapter 1: An Unexpected Observer**

Liara T'Soni was bored and she felt like it was her own damn fault. She should have known better than to break her only rule regarding discussions with her mother. It was simple after all: No talk about politics in public.  
But no! She had to voice her opinion to that bloody bootlicker of hers while she was standing right next to her mother at the annual banquet in honour of something she couldn't care less. Some kind of ancient pioneer or some such she was related to.  
Normally engaging in a political discussion wouldn't be so bad, even if she didn't agree with the Matriarch's – her mother's - opinion. It might have earned her a stern talking to in private, but she could have dealt with that – she had plenty of experience after all.  
Instead her mother had agreed with her! Of all the times their opinions had met, the great Matriarch Benezia had to pick that one to agree with her daughter! And not with her choice of career. That one still hurt.  
Liara was focused on the past, while her mother's interest lay in the future. Why the daughter of _the_ most influential politician in Council Space and maybe beyond,and yes that includes the notorious Councillors, _wasted_ – the Matriarch's words - her time with Archaeology was the talk of the more gossipy of the politically involved. Oh sure, she had studied a fair few other subjects as well, Astrophysics, Xenobiology, Xenotechnology, and even Political Science just to name a few – with a thousand years worth of time there was no reason not to – but they were all just supplementary to her main interest. Still it puzzled the politicians and had caused a lot of sniggers where the T'Soni's supposedly couldn't hear them. It frustrated her mother to no end that she couldn't call the guilty – it wouldn't do to reveal her information network because of such trivial gossip.

The subject of that particular discussion was a favourite pastime of sorts - not that they ever had new arguments - during polite conversation when everybody tried to stay clear from sensitive topics. It was an age-old dilemma, dating back to pre-Council times: What to do when one encounters a technologically inferior species? Specifically what should the protocol for dealing with an advanced, but not yet spacefaring species be?  
Most believed the answer was simple – do nothing as long as they don't discover the Mass Relays for themselves. After all there was no telling how this intrusion would affect the newcomers. Meddling might hurt them and the Galactic Community in the long run – one had only to look at the Vorcha. As a result all Council races practised a hands off approach as soon as there was a confirmed sapient species on a planet, declaring its whole solar system off-limits.

Liara disagreed and made the mistake of voicing her opinion. At first they smiled at her from indulgent to patronizing. She was only 90 after all, not yet a full adult for another ten years, academic merits – three doctorates, two masters and a couple of undergraduate degrees - notwithstanding. Those smiles quickly turned into surprise when her mother, who was part of the same circle, voiced her support of her daughter's opinion. Naturally at lest half of those present quickly jumped the bandwagon – including the hussy that initially declared that the _enlightened_ – meaning the Council races – should not sully themselves with the rabble that had trouble leaving their own ball of dirt, specifically meaning the newly discovered Humans.  
Liara was stunned. She knew that her mother loved her but they disagreed on almost anything of importance and she had to admit it felt good to finally get her mother's approval, even if it was in such a small matter. At least she thought it was a small matter. Goddess had she been wrong!

Now she was trapped here in this tiny stealth shuttle observing obnoxious children – Human children to be precise – taunting and tormenting each other.

* * *

Later on that fateful night when Matriarch Benezia had - for the first time in living memory - agreed with her daughter in public, Liara had been asked to join her mother in her study. The guests had already left and the acolytes were hard at work cleaning after them when Shiala had fetched her. Still in a daze because of the unexpected praise – for praise it was – Liara was smiling. If the smile was a bit goofy, so what?

"Daughter, today you made me proud," Benezia said, sitting in her comfy chair by the fireplace – a remnant of ancient times. The chair was big and Liara had very fond memories of snuggling there with her mother when she was younger, reading a book together or hearing stories from the old days that few remember. It was there she had discovered her love for the past. Secretly she hoped her mother was not as disagreeable with her choice of life as she let on. When Benezia had spoken of the days when Armali and her lost twin city had been the only ones on Thessia she always had a shine in her eyes that lacked when she spoke about politics.

For a moment Liara felt the urge to join her mother in her chair, even though she had not since she was a little girl. The urge passed and she settled in the chair – not as comfy but nearly so – opposite to her mother's as was expected from her.

"Thank you mother, that means much to me. I only said what I felt was right," she answered after she had made herself comfortable. And for the first time she felt truly comfortable in the smaller chair. True she seldom was outright uncomfortable – only when she had done something to really upset her mother – but ever since she had decided to not follow her mother in her career there had been an unquestionable distance between them that set Liara on edge.

"Indeed you did. While I agree with you - to ignore the new species is foolishness, as it is foolish to rush them into our world - I am curious what further thoughts you have on the subject," Benezia continued smoothly. While she was familiar with this tone – the Matriarch used it often when she wanted to gauge the opinion of an almost equal – Liara was at a loss. Benezia seldom used it with her. She was always confrontational, almost needling her to disagree with her. The only times she used this tone with her was when she was showing her up, when Liara had made a grave fallacy. Those kind of talks always ended humiliating. Suddenly she was not so confident any more. Still she pressed on.

"Uhm. Yes. I... I believe that the answer if we should show ourselves to an emerging species is not universal, rather it should be decided for each new species individually," Liara finally managed to say. Gaining confidence by her mother's pleased smile, she continued. "I was thinking that with the new stealth technology it should be possible to observe them; study their history, their culture, their art, and the people themselves without interacting directly.

"In my field we are used to model an ancient society with limited data. Compared to that, we should have ample information to correctly extrapolate if, when and how it is most beneficial for them and us that relations begin."

"You are perfectly right, dear. Finally your studies are paying off," her mother said with a smile that made Liara almost tear up in happiness. She had not seen that smile since she was little.

* * *

A few days later Liara was told by her supervisor that she had been selected for a top-secret project. She was to be the first to study a newly discovered culture and advise the Matriarchy on how to proceed. Liara nearly fainted. She had never heard of such an assignment but figured that only the most senior faculty member would be considered for something like this. The career implication were mind-blowing – never mind the project itself! True, her speciality were the Protheans, but she was aware that without much data on them, studying as many cultures as possible to draw parallels was essential.

She did not tell her that she was not to study an extinct culture, rather the opposite in fact. She found that one out when some clerk commented on it in a offhand manner. It had been quite the shock - again.  
The project was to evaluate the ancient and modern cultures of the newly discovered Humans, the sapient species – well one of them anyway - of planet GT89534 – or Earth as the natives called it. The assignment reeked of her mother but for the first time her mother meddled with her professional life, Liara did not mind terribly. She would have liked to be told directly by her, but she understood. It would not do for the Matriarch to use her influence to advance her daughter's career. And Liara was a bad actor, she knew, so there was no way Benezia could have told her beforehand without someone picking up on it. No Benezia was right to do it her way.

Preparations took almost a year and the project itself was a standard four year deal. Plenty of time to study a single culture.

Only it wasn't. A single culture that is. Apparently, despite the evidence of global cooperation for more than eight generations, there were almost two hundred nations, each one more or less separate from the others with its own culture, rules and economy. Throw in the fact that the Humans liked to change their culture every couple of generations...  
Yes, not all of those cultures were relevant. Some were so similar, distinguishing them was not necessary for the scope of her work, but Liara had to categorize them first. That took half a year. The next problem was that she wanted to work herself from the bottom to the top, starting with the most ancient cultures and finally arriving at the most recent. Only the ancient ones did not leave many relics behind. It seemed like galactic history in miniature.  
The difference? All those cultures influenced themselves in a seemingly random pattern, something that never happened in the wider Galaxy, was unprecedented on almost all scales in fact. The known species had very linear cultures which evolved slowly over centuries in a very homogeneous manner. Only with the onset of Galactic communications external influences started playing a role but it was a minor thing; the cultures had already settled. Not so with the Humans. At times information – most importantly new ideas - travelled great distances, at others it seemed the next village was on a different planet. They evolved and regressed in leaps and bounds, it was maddening! Liara loved it.  
In the two and a half years she had barely scratched the surface, and that only because the natives had already done a marvellous job themselves. Now if only they would start digitalizing their knowledge in earnest. Luckily she saw signs that the dawn of the true information age was at most a few decades away. She had already drafted several proposals for further study. She hoped to bring a full-fledged team with her next time, and with luck they could then tap into a planet-wide information network.

The last year was reserved for the current situation. It was far too much like the politics at home for her taste, yet she soldiered on. Sure there were differences. Generally the system was archaic and bogged down in places, but some ideas had merits. Even after a cursory glance she could tell that Humanity was not ready yet. Were they more settled they could be ready in half a century, but as it was she doubted they would be ready after a hundred years. Sadly interfering on either a grand or small scale would be bad. First they had to work out their own problems. That was not to say they could not subtly guided in secret but that was not her decision to make.

Wanting to help make that decision was what brought her to her current stakeout – a primary school in Little Whinging, Surrey in the nation of Great Britain.

For the umpteenth time she cursed herself and her thorough nature. As an Archaeologist she seldom had the opportunity to just watch the daily life she was studying but often hoped she could. Now she cursed the Goddess for granting her that wish. Watching everyday life was just boring. And at times like these downright depressing.

Her shuttle was parked on a nearby rooftop where nobody would accidentally bump into it. She had planted surveillance equipment all over the school and listened into a few classes. It reminded her of her own school time – not a happy memory. She had always been the odd one, even considering her heritage. Being a pureblood was a serious stigma and it was only partially mitigated by the fact who her mother was, at least with the older Asari.  
But children did not care about Matriarch Benezia. They only saw shy and studious Liara, who's 'father' was quite obviously - to Asari at least - another Asari, and what's more, one that had left her. Why those were bad things, Liara never understood.. But at times she wondered where her father was – assuming she was still alive – and why she left.

As she watched a small, black haired boy being chased by a horde of other little children she cringed in sympathy. When they got to him, he was in for a beating. She had seen it before. At times like those she hated the fact she could not intervene. Her school mates had never hurt her physically but they didn't have to. Words could hurt just as well. Sometimes even more.

As she watched the boy run into a cul-de-sac behind the school's kitchen she balled her fists in frustration at her inability to help. She almost switched to another feed, but felt that if she couldn't help the boy she owned it to him to at least bear witness. She did not turn away as he realized his predicament, as his eyes widened in fear at the horde that gathered at the entrance, as he frantically looked for a way out, as he suddenly vanished into thin air. _Wait what?_

Liara, who at that time had tears in her eyes, not just for the boy but all the ugly things she had seen over the last months, scrambled for the controls. Something had happened. At one moment the boy had been cornered, ready to spring behind the garbage bins and then he just vanished. She hit the reverse and zoomed out so that she could see more.

There he was, entering the cul-de-sac. The others arrived. Then he vanished. Liara hit the pause button; all five monitors froze. It took her only a couple of seconds to spot the little boy again: He was now sitting on the kitchen's chimney.  
Liara let the last couple of seconds play again frame by frame. There was no observable time delay between the boy standing on the ground and him standing on the roof, almost ten meters from his initial spot. That left only one conclusion.

"Goddess... Biotics! But how? There is no Element Zero on Earth!"

She stared into the green eyes of the mysterious boy as if she could solve this riddle by willing the projection to talk. Somehow she doubted she would get to the bottom of this, even if she asked the boy. By the look of him, he was just as confused by the whole situation as she was.

"Who are you? What's your secret?"

Not for the first time Liara cursed that Humanity had not yet advanced so far that computers where an everyday tool. She would have to hit the archives to find out more about the boy. But somehow she was a little giddy at the prospect. There was something about physically sorting through information that was just lacking in the age of electronics. As convenient as data pads were, sometimes they couldn't compare to actual books in Liara's opinion. The first time Liara had leafed through an actual tome had been magical.

* * *

Harry Potter was not aware that his little 'freak outburst' – as his uncle called them - had garnered so much interest. Had he known he would have been even more upset. Garnering interest was not a good thing in his experience.

After a perplexed teacher had gotten him down from the chimney there was no way his relatives would not hear about the incident. They would have heard anyway as his cousin was part of the pack that had hounded him but this way it was much worse. His uncle had yelled for an hour straight and then sent him to bed without dinner. For the rest of week he was confined to his bedroom – the cupboard under the stairs. He was only allowed out of there when he had to do his chores or go to school. And he didn't doubt he was only allowed to go because people would talk if he didn't go.

He thanked the stars for small favours. Before school he had been miserable. He still was in many ways, but now he had an escape. He loved books but he could only read them at school. There was no way his aunt or uncle would allow him to study at home except for the bare minimum necessary for his homework. They had made their opinion on him outperforming Dudley – his cousin – in school quite clear. In fact today's 'Harry Hunting' was because he had done better in class than his cousin. Not that Dudley wouldn't have found another reason.

While his school had a most unusual visitor that night, who was especially interested in his file, Harry tossed around in his sleep. Nightmares were nothing new to him, but today was especially bad. Everytime after one of his freak outbursts they got worse for a couple of days. He figured it was because of the scolding. Why did he have to be different from everybody? Why did he have to live with his relatives who hated him, a feeling that was entirely mutual? Why had his parents left him?

* * *

"Hello mother," Liara was clearly nervous, evidenced by her wringing her hands. It was late by her clock, after midnight in fact, but where her mother was it was early morning. Her mother immediately picked up on her nervousness. She was never able to hide anything from her – or anybody else for that matter.

"What is it Little Wing? You were not due to call in for another two weeks. Have you accidentally revealed yourself?"

"N-No, nothing like that mother, but I need your wisdom," Liara said, uploading the short clip that left her so upset. "Please look at this and tell me what you think."

She waited as her mother watched the twenty seconds clip. To see the same shock as she felt on her mothers face helped, strangely enough. Her mother operated some controls, obviously replaying the clip.

"Goddess! Biotics? But I thought..."

"Yes, that was my conclusion as well, mother," she said, smirking at the fact that her mother reacted in almost the same fashion as she did. "And no, there is no Element Zero on Earth. I've checked again, and even did a more thorough search on the island – it is quite big – where this happened. According to the file I found in the boy's school there is no reason to believe he ever left it. Another thing mother. There was nothing in that file that suggested that he was in any way special, except that his parents died when he was little."

"So either he is the norm or they don't know anything about the Mass Effect or biotics," Benezia nodded to herself.

"I think we can rule out the first possibility. After it happened everyone – including the boy - was just as confused as I was – more so in fact!"

"So they don't know. Goddess, what if... No," Benezia fell silent for a moment. Liara knew better than to interrupt her mother's thoughts. "Liara, this is important! Listen to me carefully: Everything about this is strictly classified. You are not to tell _anybody _except me_. _Have you gotten enough data to advise the Matriarchy?" She waited for her daughter's nod. "Then from now on you are to investigate this further. It is too bad your project ends in only a month's time. Maybe if you could justify extending it..." at this a huge smile blossomed on Liara's face. Benezia could not help herself and smiled as well.

"But mother surely the Matriarchy has to know about... You know something, don't you?" Liara was not nearly as good at reading her mother as vice versa, but she still considered herself the foremost expert on reading the great Matriarch Benezia. She knew her mother was hiding something.

"No, I don't know anything, but I suspect... I am sorry Little Wing, but I can't tell you. Not yet. Please, I know we didn't always see eye to eye, but this is important or it could be. Please trust me," Liara was stunned. Benezia was pleading. The Matriarch never pleaded. Not with her – at least not since she was twenty – not with anybody!

"Y-Yes mother, I will." What else could she say?

* * *

Liara was fuming. She never before felt this much anger. Those people... no those monsters!

For the past two weeks she had observed the young boy – Harry Potter as she now knew – almost constantly. By now she was seriously tempted to unleash her biotics on the fat male that apparently was Harry's uncle Vernon. And maybe his equally fat son Dudley. How anyone could treat a child in this way was beyond her. Oh, the adults did not hurt the boy, not directly at least. They merely encouraged his cousin and his gang to do it in their stead. And the dog. Goddess she almost lost it that time. Thankfully Harry made it up the tree at the last second. She had almost thrown that monster into the nearest wall, secrecy be damned!

School was out and Harry was hanging around the neighbourhood playground. He had learned last year that he was not to come home after Dudley but neither long before him. So he waited for his cousin to show up so he could hurry back home. As always he read one of his school books while sitting on the swings, feet dragging through the coloured leaves that started piling up. Unknown to him, Liara was sitting not far from him on the ground under a tactical cloak, a relatively new development that allowed her to be invisible to the naked eye as well as some of the more basic active scanning methods.

Today had been a particularly bad day. For homework Harry and his peers had to build or draw something of their town. How Harry managed to build a near perfect model of the town's church without help was beyond Liara. It was not as if his aunt or uncle would have given him anything to build it with. Still he managed and somehow his model had been the best of all, at least in her opinion. Had his cousin not destroyed it on their way to school.

As it was, Harry had been scolded for not delivering anything. He tried to defend himself without saying who destroyed the model – a sure way to get another week in the cupboard at least – but the teacher remained adamant. Liara, who was far more perceptive than any seven year old, saw that the teacher believed Harry was not at fault, but could not bring herself to let it slide. Liara did not blame her – the woman was concerned about her pupils' discipline and Harry's excuse _was_ flimsy.

Dudley sported a shit eating grin for the whole day. Liara was once more tempted to punch it in. But all she could do was sit next to the swings in silent and unknown companionship, commiserating with a boy she had come to care for so much after only two short weeks. So much in fact that she contemplating taking him away with her, because obviously he was miserable here. If only she could give him a hug, let him know _somebody_ cared. _Damn the Matriarchy and their fixation on secrecy!_

She could tell he was silently crying, a skill he had mastered at a young age. He hadn't turned the page once ever since he had opened the book some twenty minutes ago. She couldn't blame him. Ever since the chimney incident there had been a string of bad days...

"Look who we have here. Hey Piers! Grab him!"

And it was about to get worse.

Before either Harry or Liara could react – not that she was allowed to – Dudley's crony had grabbed Harry in a lock, trapping his arms behind his back. Dudley strutted around in front of their captive, letting his right fist smash into his open left hand. The gesture was clear even to Liara.

"Harry," he said, attempting to imitate their teacher. "I expected better from you."

He hit Harry in the stomach.

"You know, Scarhead, in my opinion she should have beat you with that stick she uses to point at things. Daddy always tells us how they did that back in his day."

Liara had enough. Her stasis field surrounded Dudley just as he pulled back his fist for another swing. Her cloak failed with a electric fitz sound just as she expected. They weren't designed to operate in combination with biotics – or weapons. Active Mass Effect fields would disrupt them and it would take a couple of minutes to reload them. She just hoped her long robes complete with a mostly face-obscuring cowl would mask her appearance sufficiently. Maybe they would think she was Human. A blue skinned one, but a Human.

The two boys stared at her dumbfounded. She had expected that. Same as she expected for them to run away as soon as they regained their wits. Dudley's friend did, Harry did not, instead he continued to stare at her. Even after Dudley was freed from stasis and he scampered off as well, only glancing back at Liara for half a second, he was still rooted in place

"Are you a Jedi?"

_What?_ Now it was Liara's turn to be dumbfounded. She had not expected that Harry would stay, even less talk to her.

"Are you going to make me forget about this?"

Finally Liara got her wits back. She gave quick thanks to the Goddess for remembering to load English into her translator. She would sound slightly synthetic, but that was better than talking Asari.

"Why would you think that?" She asked in turn, slightly offended. To Asari meddling with another's mind was one of the worst crimes, ranking higher than rape.

"Sorry," he cringed." But isn't that what Jedi do? 'These are not the droids you are looking for'," Harry told her, struggling to keep his voice without emotion for the last bit. "I've seen it on TV last summer. Dudley was watching it while I was scrubbing the floor in the kitchen. Nobody noticed that I scrubbed the same spot for over an hour. Didn't you use the force to stop my cousin from hitting me? Do you have a lightsaber?"

"The force? Lightsaber?" Liara asked perplexed. "No Harry, I used biotics. Do you know what they are?"

Harry shook his head but then got a pensive look on his face. "You know my name?"

"Err. Yes. I'm Liara, nice to meet you."

"Cool! I've never known someone with blue skin!"

Harry almost jumped forward, extending his hand for her to shake. She had observed the odd ritual before, but of course had never shook another person's hand. Every species had its own greeting ritual. She knew Turians and Krogan shook hands as well, but she never had met one of them in a context that made it necessary to engage in that ritual. Ever so cautiously she took his hand and slowly moved it up and down.

"Harry, can I ask you a favour? Could you not tell anybody about me?"

"I guess, but Dudley will tell aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon anyway. They will blame me, like always but I won't tell anybody. I promise," he said in a serious tone but seemed insecure after his promise. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I guess that's only fair. However, I might not be able to answer you."

"Are you an alien?"

Liara stumbled backwards in shock. That such a young child had come to the right conclusion so fast stunned her. All she could do was work her mouth in silence.

"So you are an alien! Wicked! Can I see your space ship?"

"H-How did you know?" Liara finally managed to stammer.

"Please, I'm seven, not dumb! You wear robes like a Jedi, you are blue, you speak funny - although not like that Vader bloke - you have wicked powers and you obviously don't know how to shake hands," he told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "But don't worry, I will keep your secret if you show me your space ship. Well, I will keep it anyway, but please can I see your space ship?"

Liara couldn't help herself, she just had to chuckle at the singlemindness that so much reminded her of herself at that age – well equivalent age anyway. That and his puppy eyes melted away what small resistance she had instantly.

"I guess... Now that you know what I am there is no point hiding it anymore. Alright, come along then," she said, extending her hand for Harry to hold on to. He didn't hesitate to grab it and never looked back as they made their way into the more dense parts of the park where her shuttle was parked.

* * *

"Wicked!" he said admiringly as the Shuttle materialized out of thin air.

Liara ushered Harry inside as fast as she could, reactivating the stealth system as soon as they were inside. She did not want the shuttle exposed longer than necessary.

The inside was spartan. The living space was maybe five by three meters, including the small bathroom and the cot in the back. Obviously the cot was of no interest to Harry. The floating screens and interfaces bathing the small space in orange light were far too captivating.

"Wicked!" he repeated himself, obviously hard pressed to decide where to look first.

"Wait till you see the real space ship," Liara told her companion smugly. She was really proud of her small ship currently in orbit. Benezia had insisted on the best of the best. Initially Liara, herself rather frugal, was exasperated but in time she became to appreciate the many small comforts her little home away from home offered. It didn't have a name when she arrived on Earth but she soon decided to call it _Alexandria_, after the library that supposedly had been the biggest of its time, now long lost.

"_The real space ship_? You mean you have another one? And I can see it too? Wicked!"

"Erm..." _Shouldn't have said that, Liara, _she thought."Yes, why not. let me just get out of these ridiculous robes first," she relented, as soon as she saw the eager look on Harry's face.

After she tossed them on the cot, revealing a much more form-fitting one-piece overall, she typed a few commandos on the main console. A couple of keystrokes more made a section of the wall transparent so that Harry could enjoy the ride.

Harry meanwhile watched her closely. He didn't seem to mind that she looked different from him, still Liara could tell that he took in every detail of her. While Asari could pass as Human at a distance there were several differences, none of which seemed to bother the young boy. The blue, slightly scaly skin was of course a dead giveaway, as was the missing hair and ears – they didn't even have eyebrows! Instead of hair they had scalp crests that were reminiscent of tentacles, even if they didn't flop around, as some might think. But Harry, while noting them, didn't focus on those things, instead he studied her freckled face, her deep blue eyes, and how her long fingers danced over the interface.

As soon as the shuttle started to move, leaving the park behind he focused his attention on the outside. Now it was Liara's time to observe him, as he was staring out of the window wide-eyed and open-mouthed as Earth dropped away. His hair was an unruly black that seemed untamable. Understatement of the century! That hair had a mind of its own! But as fascinating as it was – and Liara was very fascinated by hair in general, and Harry's in specific– what stood out the most about Harry was his deep green eyes. There was a light in them that Liara hadn't seen before in anyone. Her mother and her tutors would disagree.

Just as they broke through the clouds the main screen buzzed, indicating an incoming call. Which could only mean one person. _Mother, you have the worst timing!_

Liara looked frantically around for a way to hide Harry, but saw none that didn't alert the boy. The shuttle was just not big enough. And if she didn't answer soon the line would open anyway. Benezia was not known to be patient when it didn't suit her needs.

"Liara, it is good... Liara? Is that who I think it is in your shuttle?"

Harry had of course heard Benezia talking and looked around to find out what the new excitement was about. As she was speaking Asari he did not understand anything beyond his new friends name. At the sight of the new Asari, this one clearly older – and showing a lot more cleavage – his eyes bugged out anew.

"Yes mother," Liara exhaled, also speaking Asari. _Mother's too calm. That can't be a good sign._ She swiftly tapped a few keys, interfacing her translator with the main computer so that Harry could understand her mother, and she him. "Mother, may I introduce to you, Harry James Potter. Harry, this is my mother Matriarch Benezia T'Soni."

Harry stood from his seat,giving her mother a small bow, to everyone's surprise. "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, young one."

Turning to Liara he said in a whisper – which her mother obviously heard as well "What's a Matriarch?"

Seeing the amusement in her mother's eyes, Liara breathed a sigh of relief. _This might not be so bad._ "It's difficult to explain," she whispered back. She pondered a moment how to best explain it to the young English boy. Not an easy thing, considering her own knowledge of Human culture was still quite superficial."A Matriarch is like a Bishop combined with a noble Lady and a Minister. Some focus more on one aspect but my mother is all three of them."

"Ehem," Benezia decided to 'interrupt' them just when it was clear Liara had finished. "Daughter, please explain why you have violated your vow of secrecy by bringing this young Human aboard your shuttle."

_Busted._

* * *

"Liara, are you in trouble because of me?" Harry asked, clearly distraught, after Benezia had hung up. She had been very stern with Liara in his opinion. She hadn't shouted at her like the Dursley's did when he did something wrong but her disappointment shone through nevertheless.

Liara pondered the question for a while. Was she? Sure, her mother had been less than pleased with her, showing herself to three Humans, even if they were children. She had been somewhat appeased by Liara's assurances that supposed alien sightings featured quit heavily in certain media but were as a rule not taken seriously. Also, Liara had the impression as if Benezia was secretly quite pleased. It showed in her eyes. It was not hard to understand why, as Liara had reported on the boy daily. Benezia was no less incensed about his relatives than she was. Liara thought she was only faulted for not figuring out a way to help Harry without breaking cover. But she had always been impulsive under emotional stress. Benezia had – reluctantly – accepted that long ago.

"No, I am not in trouble because of you, but because _I_ made a mistake. I should have found a way to help you, without anyone noticing," she finally told him.

"But then I would never have met you," Harry whispered desolately, just as they docked the Alexandria. Liara could think of no answer.

After a lengthy tour that improved Harry's spirits somewhat they found themselves in the small kitchen area. Liara, despite her many years, was no good at cooking and therefore mostly ate field rations. One of the first things she had checked was the compatibility between Humans and the various known species. She had been pleased to find that aside from some very rare exceptions – and those merely gave her ingestion - she could eat Human fare without a problem. It was a guilty vice of hers, that she stole into stores from time to time to nick some local cuisine. She fell in love with pizza early on.

So there they sat, eating pizza, Harry still looking left and right but mostly looking out of the window where just in that moment the moon became visible.

"Can we go there?" he asked, waking Liara from her thoughts.

"Go where, Harry?" she asked. He pointed at the pale disc outside the window. Liara pondered for a little while. Harry got the impression that his new friend – at least he hoped she was - always thought carefully before answering. It was a bit annoying, as he was used to quick answers from his aunt and uncle, but as Liara had yet to deny him anything he considered it a good trade. 'Don't ask questions' wasn't really an answer after all.

"Hmm. I don't see why not. My spare suit will be a little bit to big for you, but as long as you don't run or do anything strenuous it should be fine," she answered finally, eliciting a happy whoop from Harry.

* * *

Liara had parked her small space ship near the Apollo 11 landing site, careful not to disturb anything. Harry was sitting cross-legged next to the remnants of Eagle, the landing module that had brought Armstrong and Aldrin to the moon almost twenty years ago. He looked up to Earth, fascinated with the sight.

Liara meanwhile was inspecting the leftovers of the first moon landing. She knew a lot about the Apollo 11 mission, knew what she would find, but still; being here was different from only reading about it.

_Here Men From The Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We Came in Peace For All Mankind._

For the first time in almost a year, Liara was hopeful for the new species. Yes, they could be intolerant, but Harry had accepted her immediately. No mistrust whatsoever, something that truly astonished her. Even her own kind took a long time until they fully trusted their first allies, the Salarians. _Maybe being short lived can be a blessing. New ideas can get a hold much faster._

"_Giant steps are what you take_

_Walking on the moon_

_I hope my leg don't break_

_Walking on the moon_

_We could walk forever_

_Walking on the moon_

_We could be together_

_Walking on the moon..."_

It took her a moment to register what she was hearing. Harry softly sang to himself, lost in thought, not realizing that the communication channel was open. Liara could tell that the song was somehow important to him. He had a sweet voice and she decided then and there she would never allow for him to go back to his relatives.

She waited until he had finished his song – she had to look it up, she vowed – and than approached him.

"That was beautiful. Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed with genuine joy but became immediately pensive. "But can we? What if we run out of air?"

"That won't be a problem," Liara chuckled. "We have several hours' worth of air. And I'm not suggesting we travel that far – only to the edge of the crater over there."

"Alright."

Again she offered him her hand and he took it awkwardly because of the too big gloves.

After a short walk they stood at the edge of a huge crater, for the moment just stargazing, the blue earth and the traces of the first moonlanding at their backs.

"When can I go to the stars?" Harry broke the sombre mood.

"One day, my sweet," Liara answered, her resolve wavering.

"What will be there?"

"Anything you can imagine," she promised. "Our galaxy has billions of stars, each of those stars could have many worlds, every world could be home to a different form of life. And every life is a special story of its own."

Both fell back into silence. Liara made her decision.

"Harry? Do you want to be my friend?" she asked after a couple of minutes.

"Your friend? Yes! I never had a friend before. But... won't you leave me behind, when you return home?" he asked, his voice scared.

There it was, the question she had dreaded and looked forward to at the same time.

"Harry, your are my first friend as well. I won't leave you behind."

"So you'll stay?" there was so much hope in his voice. Liara gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"No, I have to return home."

"Oh." he sounded dejected.

"Harry? Do you want to come with me?"

"You want me to come with you? Like to your planet? Really?"

"Yes Harry," she nodded for emphasis.

"Yes!" he shouted as he tackled her in a fierce hug, eliciting a surprised yelp.

* * *

**AN:** So here it is. And yes, I have shamelessly stolen the stargazing scene from ME3 and 'Walking on the Moon' by The Police. In my opinion both are fitting - and I listened to the song while writing this...

First I want to point out that I did not misquote Clarke at the very beginning. This modified quote is kind of my motivation for this fic. What I mean with it should become clear with the next chapter or the one after that.

This fic has many inspirations. I first began to wonder when I pondered the inner workings of biotics for my other 'big' fic set entirely in the Mass Effect Universe (Fate Reversed). I came to the conclusion that biotics are space magic. Not that I have a problem with that – refer to the original Clarke quote.  
Sometime later (or was it earlier?) I found a Harry Potter/The Culture crossover called 'Culture Shock' and a Dresden Files/ME crossover called 'Ghost Story'.  
That Mass Effect would be one part was a forgone conclusion: I love that setting just too much.  
As a teenager I loved Harry Potter as well, but haven't thought much about it in years; haven't read the books in ages in fact and skipped the last two movies. But I gotta admit that the story holds a special place in my mind and heart, plot holes and inconsistencies notwithstanding. And somehow I found my way into the HP-section on ffnet.  
After I read 'Harry Potter and the Quantum Leap' with its brilliant Asari Meld impression by Luna Lovegood the idea to combine the two took root.

So what can you expect from this? First there will be a short prelude of sorts that will deal with Harry joining Liara on Thessia and various expeditions. It won't cover everything in that time but the most important bits until he gets his Hogwarts letter. Yes, Harry will attend Hogwarts and this fic is mostly about his years there and the fight against Voldemort. But other than that I can't tell you much.

See, I have planned almost nothing yet, in fact, I never do in my stories. Sure, I have a lot of ideas which I might work in – or might not. The big story in the broadest of terms – which really isn't that much different from the books – is staked out but other than that everything's possible. Does Sirius survive? Possibly, but not certain. Dumbledore? Snape? One might, the other might not. Even Voldemort's ultimate demise is not certain.

Only the epilogue and Harry's love interest are fixed but that's because it ties into the sequel. Yes, there will be a sequel and yes, it will deal with the Mass Effect story. And it's going to be epic! At least I hope it will.

And no, that pairing is NOT Liara/Harry as I'm going for an older sister/brother relationship with them. Harry/Hermione is the only _planned_ paring, although romance will only start playing a role in late book three or even four – just like in the original. Don't worry though. I'm not about to write a teenage relationship drama, but I will have some fun with the characters.

I will try to keep the characters and events close to how they are in the books/games but naturally I'll have to make some concessions. They each have their own agenda that I will do my best to reconstruct from the books and make them react to the changed circumstances, according to their knowledge, agenda and personality. That means no serious bashing, but some might be called out for their behaviour. As the story progresses it will deviate further and further from the original but I hope it does so in a consistent manner.

Please let me know what you think of the story. Also I appreciate any idea you send along my way.


	2. So Long

**AN: **Wow, talk about positive reaction! Thank you kindly for all the favs, follows, reviews and PNs! Sorry for not continuing sooner – life was hectic for a while and I still have to catch up on all the stories I have subscribed to!  
Special thanks to Noir Detective and DanTheJogger93 for their wonderful suggestions! The whole shopping incident has been inspired by their comments.  
In fact quite a few have written suggestions about what they would like to see in this fic. Keep them suggestions coming! Doesn't matter if it's something far reaching (for example pairings – Liara's still available) or just a goofy byplay. I'm quite fond of the occasional break with the fourth wall or the odd reference thrown in.  
I can't promise that I incorporate each and every wish but I will at the very least think about it.

I'm currently a bit torn about a small issue: Should the Potters be more than they appear? In canon they are wealthy purebloods and descendants from a well respected family. They can trace their ancestors back almost a thousand years, which should put them on equal footing with families like the Blacks and Malfoys. There is circumstantial evidence that supports this theory, which leads to several fics where Harry ends up as a Lord.  
While I agree that the Potter family should be quite influential I'm not so certain on the amount. Where do they rank among the purebloods? What would you prefer?  
(I have to point out: It will have very little influence on the story itself. Harry won't become emancipated or suddenly treated like royalty like in many fics out there.)

This chapter continues to set the stage and I'm incredibly relieved it is done with. Next chapter will have some answers and some action.

Enjoy!

**AN2:** As a few reviewers have pointed out, medi-gel was invented by the Humans. Thanks for pointing out my oversight!

* * *

**Chapter 2: So Long**

"Why can't we just leave already?"

Liara did not regret picking up young Harry, she told herself, but she did wish, sometimes, he wouldn't ask so many questions. It seemed he tried to catch up on six years of not getting any answers from his aunt and uncle – by pestering the sole target in his range: Liara; who all things considered did an admirable job keeping her patience.

"I told you already," she resigned herself to explain once again. "If you are to come with me we have to pick up some books and other things. I will not rob you of your cultural heritage! Then we need to get some food and medicine just in case. Also, I still have to complete my assignment. It would be suspicious if I returned to early."

"But how are you going to get these things? Can you just enter a store? Won't people notice that you are... er... blue?" he seemed to ponder that for a moment. "How did you get the pizza?"

Liara's eyes darted across the room like those of a startled animal, clearly refusing to meet the piercing stare of the seven-year old. How he could affect her this strongly she had no idea. She sincerely hoped he would never team up with her mother.

"Well... you see... I needed some samples and the easiest way was to procure them from a local store when nobody was there."

Harry's brows knitted in confusion as he tried to make sense of Liara's explanation.  
"You stole them..." he asked incredulously, his expression turning sour and accusing. Her fidgeting was all the answer he needed. "But stealing is _wrong_!"

"Yes... well... it was the easiest way," she tried to defend herself. "Look, we can go to the library today and copy everything. That is not stealing, is it?"

Harry's eager nod told her, that she had dodged a bullet. Now Liara had to work out a way to buy things without offending Harry's moral integrity. _This is going to be harder than I thought._

* * *

"Hello Mother, it is good to see you," Liara acknowledged the incoming transmission, just as she came back from tucking in her young charge.

"You as well Little Wing. How is he?" her mother's stern demeanour had considerably softened over the last days. The sense of approval filled the young Asari with joy.

"Quite good, all things considered. Tired of course, but that is to be expected. Goddess, you should have seen him when we entered the library! He forgot all about helping me and after staring at the books for ten minutes he just grabbed a few and began to read," Liara told her with mirth in her voice. "He dozed off in one of the armchairs and I had to carry him back to the shuttle. He didn't wake until we got to the ship."

"I see. Well, that certainly reminds me of someone else..." Benezia smirked at her daughter's embarrassed blush. "Did you have any problems copying everything you wanted?"

"No unforeseen problems, but I truly wish the Humans were just a bit more advanced. Ten, maybe twenty years and all the books and vids would have been available in digital form. But my friend's little drone came through, it didn't take much time at all," she reassured her mother. "Mother you should have seen it! There were so many books! And all open to anyone! It was... inspiring. Why don't we have anything like this?"

"We used to have, Liara," Benezia said with a sad voice. "The last library that was more than glorified storage for ancient artefacts closed when my mother was your age, over a thousand years ago. Maybe we lost something then... But tell me, who's that friend of yours with the drone?"

"Oh, just a Quarian on her pilgrimage I met on my way to Earth," Liara tried to dismiss that line of inquiry, but her mother's glare made her relent very quickly. "I didn't tell her anything mother! We met on the Citadel, had a little talk over ancient machines and stayed in contact. I told her that during my studies I come across large amounts of written information with no digital copies and she helped me out."

Benezia sighed in relief. She trusted her daughter but this situation was _very_ delicate. Her daughter had almost no training in these kind of things, which the Matriarch was sure would bite her in the ass at some point. The mother in her however was quite relieved that her Little Wing was innocent to her world of plots and intrigue.

"Very well. Have you done a medical check on young Harry?"

"Yes mother. As expected he was slightly malnourished but not in immediate danger. Some soft tissue damage and a few scars that I could heal easily. Apparently our methods work on Humans quite well. His left arm and right collarbone have been broken but treated. The process the doctors used work much slower than ours, but the results are the same. All in all he is as healthy as could be, considering how he was treated."

"And the other thing?"

"You know the equipment here is not sophisticated enough to make a meaningful scan and I am not a medical doctor, however... It was enough to confirm that Harry has indeed a considerable amount of Element Zero in his body, about as much as you would expect from a normal biotic."

"So it is true. There are Human biotics but there is no Element Zero to explain it. We will have to study this further."

"Yes mother, but I am hardly qualified to do so. Also he might need an amplifier to fully access his potential, but since you said..."

"Don't worry Liara. I believe I can find someone trustworthy with enough expertise to assist us. For now all your findings are to remain between us. The household will be informed of young Harry, but I don't doubt the loyalty of my acolytes. They will not betray us. If there is anything else..." Benezia waited for Liara's negative response who was positively beaming at the plural pronoun. "Then I will let you go to bed. You seem quite exhausted yourself. I will see you with the dawn, Little Wing."

"Goodnight mother."

* * *

Benezia sighed as the connection closed. She was _so _not looking forward to her next conversation. Steeling herself she called someone she hadn't spoken to for almost a century.

"Yeah, Aethyta here, who's calling?" came a female, yet surprisingly gruff voice over the line. There was no image as there had been with Liara. Benezia wasn't ready for that. Maybe never would.

"Hello Tya, it has been a while," somehow she managed to make her voice sound normal. Centuries of training, always standing in the lamplight, being perfect, came to the fore.

"Bloody hell! Benezia is that you?" her old bondmate choked out, clearly in shock.

"Yes it's me," Benezia sighed. "How are you?"

"_How are you?_ How are you? That's all you can say after nine decades?!" Aethyta was livid. It was expected but certainly didn't help things.

"What do you expect me to say Tya? What could I say? It has been just as long for me!" she retorted angrily.

"Yeah well," Aethyta seemed to deflate a bit. "I'll make you a deal. We forget about the screaming at and blaming each other and just get on with it. Be mature about it," there was a bit of mumbling Benezia couldn't quite understand. "After all that's what Matriarchs are supposed to be, isn't it? So to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"As you can imagine, it's about Liara..."

"Is she okay? Is she hurt?" Aethyta immediately interrupted. "I'll tear anyone apart..."

"Calm down Tya, Liara is fine. More than fine actually. She found something but we can't tell anyone yet."

Aethyta took a few calming breaths. "Okay. What do you need me for Benezia? I'm not exactly subtle as you know..."

Benezia had to chuckle at this. "Yes, I remember. Aethyta T'Diu and subtlety are anathema. Thankfully that does not apply to your daughter."

"What? Now you have me confused," Aethyta sounded confused. "Haven't you said Liara..."

"I wasn't talking about Liara. Last I checked you had four daughters."

"Oh, sorry. Which one are you talking about?"

"I need Tuisku for a _very_ classified project," Benezia hedged.

"Skui? What do you need a neural surgeon specializing in biotic amps for?"

"I... can't say," anticipating the protest she was quick to add. "Not over a call. You _know_ that. Please just ask her for me and make her promise to keep it quiet."

"So this has to do with..."

"Maybe. I don't know. Yet."

"Fine, I will ask her."

"Good. That's good. Thank you Tya."

"You are welcome Benezia. I... I miss you."

Benezia wanted to return those words. She clearly felt the same, but all she managed were a few choking sounds. For the first time in their very complicated relationship Aethyta proved to be the more eloquent.

"Yeah. Awkward. That's me. Sorry," then again, a teaspoon could be more eloquent at this point, so maybe it was not saying much. "Goodbye Benezia. Maybe we can see each other sometime."

"Yes, maybe we can. Goodbye." Benezia's training once again kicked in as she managed to answer with sincerity in her voice. But why did she feel like a liar?

* * *

"I can not believe I let you talk me into this!" Liara furiously whispered to Harry who was pushing the shopping cart, looking quite pleased with himself.

"I told you, we will be fine. Look, nobody's giving you a second glance," he told her smugly.

Liara huffed, but she had to admit his plan apparently worked. She was wearing an elaborate and very concealing dress usually reserved for fancy parties at the T'Soni estate. Luckily it was not at all out of place on Earth and considering they were shopping in a posh neighbourhood even less so. Her skin was covered in a thick layer of make-up and she was wearing an elegant opaque headscarf which concealed her ears and hair – or lack thereof.

Harry meanwhile was enjoying himself immensely. He had been shopping before. Petunia sending him to the corner store with barely enough money to buy what she wanted him to get or playing Sherpa when she went on her weekly shopping spree to restock the larder. The bags usually piled so high he couldn't see where he was going – he wondered how many small African nations they could feed with all the stuff. But Ickle Diddykins was a growing boy – even if he did most of his growing sideways.  
This time however, he was in charge. He decided what they bought and how much. Curiously enough the amount was much the same, but this time he looked forward to taste _everything_.

It was surprisingly anticlimactic. They shopped. They waited in line. They paid with Liara's forged Credit Card - Harry didn't know about the forged part, but Liara wasn't going to tell him. They loaded the bags back into the shopping cart.

The next part had worried Liara but Harry had once again shown his cunning. As he hailed a taxi she smiled indulgently at him, like he told her to. She played her part of the proud mother that let her son taking care of everything brilliantly. He spent the ride to a remote and for the time deserted villa babbling about _stuff_ and finally made a show of grabbing Liara's purse to pay the man. As the taxi left Liara hacked the electric gate which promptly opened. Right inside their shuttle was parked. After stowing the bags, Harry appeared reluctant to enter the craft. Liara turned expectantly towards him, prompting him to speak.

"Liara... Can we go shopping for some clothes as well?"

"Why do you want that?" she asked. Looking him up and down, appraising his baggy hand-me-downs she silently agreed that he needed some fitting clothes. Still she was weary to go out again. "You know the less I am exposed to Humans the less likely it is someone notices anything out of the ordinary."

"Yes, it's just... All I have are Dudley's old things. And I haven't changed them for almost a week! Please?"

_Ack! How does he do that?!_ Liara didn't know what puppy eyes were but she was no less immune to them. "Fine!" she relented after a heroic battle against giving in, lasting all of thirty seconds. She was promptly rewarded with a crushing hug by Harry that brought a smile to her face and prompted her to pat his head. _This hair is really remarkable. I thought it would be like a pelt but it's so soft! I could do this all day..._

* * *

Far up in the north there was a castle not many knew about. It prided itself of a very long tradition and on being the best and oldest school of magic in Europe, if not the world.  
In one of the towers in an impressive study that doubled as the headmaster's study, overlooking one of the lakes Scotland was famous for, an old man was contentedly sitting by the fire in a comfortable, well padded armchair, sucking on his favourite sweet – a lemon drop. It was one of many little, carefully cultivated quirks that made the man seem much less intimidating than he could be. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was regarded as the most powerful and influential wizard in modern history.

_Modern_ was a vague word. For Muggles it meant everything that happened or was invented in the past fifty years – give or take a decade. For wizards it was more like five hundred years – again give or take a century. A part of it could be blamed on the higher life expectancies of magical people, but that was only part of it. Even liberal wizards would be considered annoyingly conservative in the Muggle world. Radicals like Dumbledore had to walk a very careful path to make their visions reality – even after ninety years they were nowhere near completion, but he hadn't lost hope yet.

Albus Dumbledore knew that his reputation was exaggerated but only slightly. People tend to focus on the positive and forget negative examples quickly. He was quite aware that the most powerful and influential wizard was his former student Tom Riddle – better known under his moniker Lord Voldemort. People thought they were equals and in a way they were right. There had been a few encounters between them with no decisive winner. But that was because Albus cheated. To be fair both of them did, but the aged wizard had ensured that even if he couldn't win, he would not lose either. He had acquired a Mexican Standoff card, trumping the others greater power.

Still, Dumbledore was only one man and an old one at that. Voldemort however was in his prime and had taken horrible steps to ensure that he eclipsed everyone before him and would stretch out far longer than anyone else's. Then he got him self vanquished by some strange twist of fate. The question was, had he taken the final step? Was he truly gone?

The magical world was certain he was, thanks to the Boy-Who-Lived, but Albus Dumbledore was not certain. He dreaded Riddle's return. There were to many inconsistencies in his demise. To his shame the old problems had not been erased, despite the excellent opportunity the fall of the last Dark Lord provided. Too many of the Dark Lord's sympathizers were still at large, subtly influence the government and the populace, effectively keeping the status quo. He had tried, used his considerable influence as a politician and teacher but to no avail. The magical world was not willing to change.

But today he did not worry too much. The children in his school had settled in and it was not yet time to worry about exams. He was delighted to be here at Hogwarts, his home, to guide a new generation of wizards and witches and hopefully make them realize what was important in life.

Had he spared a glance towards a certain instrument, hidden among several of its spindly kind that monitored the school's many wards he would be worried sick. He used to check this particular instrument and its twin every day, but time and routine had dulled his vigilance – his friend Alastor would be horrified.

Now one of the pair, the one that watched over the wards that kept a very important boy safe, was starting to fail. It was a slow process, which was the reason there was no alert. Slow changes were normal and had to be accounted for, but the wards were at a critically low point.  
But Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his armchair, hoping for a better future. Tomorrow would be a sad day for him.

* * *

"I should not have agreed to this," Liara mumbled in Asari for the fifteenth time in the half an hour they had spent in the kid's section of the boutique Harry had dragged her into. Harry however had a blast.  
He was sorting through clothes like possessed, a huge grin on his face. Other shoppers gave him, and her by association, bemused smiles. The other kids were nowhere near as enthusiastic. Despite her misgivings Liara found herself copying them more and more often. Harry was like a whirlwind and his happiness was infectious.

"Liara, can we buy a suit?"

"A what?" she asked in a hoarse whisper that might pass as being due to a cold. But only if one didn't try to actually listen.

"A suit! Dudley got one for his first day in school and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon made a big deal out of it and made him walk around the sitting room for half an hour. I want to see how it feels," he pleaded, not once stopping to take a breath. Liara gave her assent, not really knowing anything about fashion, much less Human fashion. Usually Shiala did her shopping or Matriarch Benezia ordered a tailor for her.

After he had paraded around, she had to agree the suit looked rather fetching. It was clearly designed for formal occasions and Liara had to admit there would be some of those in the future at the T'Soni estate. She nodded her approval and smiled in encouragement.

"You know Liara, you could get one too," Harry told her.

Making certain nobody was in earshot she bowed down to whisper in confusion. "What? I thought this is a male garment?"

"Not really. Women wear them too. Aunt Petunia thinks it's undig... stupid but our neighbour Mrs. White wears them all the time. She's nice. She sometimes gives me sweets," he confided in her as if it was a secret.

Liara mulled it over. Elegant female dresses were much the same in both Human and Asari fashion, as far as she could tell. She imagined herself wearing a Human suit to a formal gathering. It would be quite a shocker but somehow that appealed to her rebellious nature. She could justify it due to her studying Human culture but it could also be interpreted as a subtle snub towards the supremacists. Did she dare it?  
With a mischievous smirk she let Harry show her the way.

The next thirty minutes were quite tense at first. Trying on different clothes when nobody was to notice that underneath her dress she was most definitely blue was not an easy task. Somehow they managed even though a few other customers and shop assistants gave them curious glances. Harry found the whole thing hilarious and couldn't stop himself from giggling half the time. Liara's already frayed nerves almost snapped after the first near discoveries but ultimately she submitted. It was either being tense or giving into the absurdity of the situation. Soon she was giggling alongside her young charge.

Still feeling giddy they finally found themselves at the counter, paying for the four bags of clothes. Asari tailors on Thessia would be able to copy the style to account for Harry's growth and with luck they could visit Earth again.

Just as they were about to exit the shop, Liara heard something she had dreaded all along.

"Mama! Look that woman has tentacles on her head!"

_Oh dear!_

* * *

"This is not funny!" Liara cried in exasperation. They were back in the shuttle after the near disastrous clothes shopping.

Harry was rolling around the floor and couldn't stop laughing.

Liara's reaction at the young girls call back in the shop had been priceless. She froze for a couple of seconds, a grimace of utter shock on her face, and than all but ran out of the shop, dragging Harry behind her. They vanished in a nearby lavatory where she furiously tried to rearrange her headscarf to once again conceal her lack of hair. She wasn't successful and Harry's mostly silent laughter didn't help things. In the end he had to correct her wardrobe malfunction. It had taken her ten minutes to calm down enough to make her way out. Harry however was in no state to hail a taxi so Liara had to take care of that.  
The glances the driver gave her through the back mirror after he heard her strange voice made her sweat so much she feared the make-up would come off. All the while Harry was shaking in suppressed laughter. She tried to tell herself that Harry was the focus of the drivers curiosity but to no avail. She was never more relieved when the taxi dropped them off, the driver giving them one last suspicious glance while driving away.

They were nearly back at the ship when Harry finally composed himself somewhat. Liara huffed when he gave her a face-splitting grin, worthy of the Cheshire Cat but not as malicious. Without saying anything she prepared them a quick meal, letting the autopilot handle the flying for the moment.

"So what's next? Can we fly to your planet now?" he asked as the shuttle entered the ship.

"Not yet. I have one last errand but it has to wait until tomorrow," Liara said distractedly, concentrating more on landing the shuttle.

"Has it to do with the stuff you did over there?" he said, gesticulating towards some sort of tank she had welded together over the last week.

"Yes, but you will see tomorrow. Now it's time for bed but first take your bags and put your new clothes away."

* * *

"... and with that I would like to end my talk about close encounters in ufology. We have now time for some questions," the handsome guest lecturer on loan from the FBI scanned the room. He had attracted quite an audience here at Oxford, more than he had anticipated. Several hands were raised, most he ignored. Picking a young, eager looking student he granted him permission to speak.

"Agent Mulder, what are your thoughts about today's 'tentacle incident'? Do you think that was an encounter of the third kind?"

Mulder sighed. He had expected this question, had in fact prepared for it, but he wished people would actually use their brains for a change. Resigning himself to his fate, he put a picture on the overhead projector. A good friend had done him a favour and organized the grainy grayscale picture that had the yellow press on the islands in an uproar. On the picture a young woman in an elegant dress was holding a few shopping bags in one hand and the hand of a young boy in the other. The boy looked like thousands of others, with a wide smile and dark, messy hair. The woman seemed a bit shocked but other than that she appeared normal. However something poked out from under her headscarf. It could have been a tentacle.

"Good question. Short answer: No.

"Let's look at the evidence. Yesterday afternoon a young Lady, age six, has created a small disturbance because she thought she saw a woman with 'blue tentacles instead of hair'. For a while nobody paid heed. But let me ask you a question? If an excitable young girl would tell you she saw a man flying outside the window on the twentieth floor, would you believe her? No, you would believe she had a vivid imagination.

"However, the young Lady didn't relent and to calm her down the distraught mother asked if it was possible to see the security footage. The man in charge must have a soft spot for little girls or just a very boring job, because he granted the request. Which brings us to this picture.

"The main subject is elegantly dressed and obviously female, and quite attractive I have to say. I would give her a nine at least," that got him a few chuckles. "She has the correct number of limbs, a facial structure similar to a girl I've met on the plane only a week back. I even got her phone number somewhere here. I think her name was Jillian," another round of chuckles.

"Several eye witnesses claimed to have seen her and the second subject, a boy between the age of six and nine, and observed nothing out of the ordinary. Allegedly they spent an hour in the shop, buying clothes. Why would an extraterrestrial do that? Sure, some claim that she hadn't said a word the whole time she was there. Others disagree by stating she was whispering to the boy. Notice the scarf she wears around her throat? Maybe she simply had a cold and has lost her voice.

"But let's talk about the elephant in the room," he circled the offending area. "The tentacle. Honestly the shape is barely recognizable. Yes it looks like you could find it on your plate in the next fish restaurant, but it could just be oddly shaped hair.  
"But let's assume that is indeed a tentacle. That means nothing, given the time of year. Today is Halloween and even yesterday I've come across no less than six costume parties. It could have been part of a costume. We don't know.  
"What are the odds, that an extraterrestrial species reassembles ours in any detail down to the number of digits, but has tentacles instead of hair? And maybe blue skin colour?  
"Let's go with Occam's razor here."

There was a lot of laughter. Most of them were academics and loathed the yellow press so ridiculing them was never a wrong move. However there were quite a few raised hands, obviously trying to get a follow-up question in. Spotting a little girl with bushy brown hair, clutching her mother's hand but raising her other like she wanted to touch the ceiling, he decided to humour her.

"Yes, young Lady? What's your name?"

"Hermione Granger, sir," she seemed to burst of excitement and spoke very fast. "I was wondering if there is any connection to the Little Whinging incident two weeks ago?"

Mulder had to laugh at the confused expression most of his audience sported.

"Very perceptive Miss Granger!" he said, giving her an appreciative smirk. "For those of you that are not familiar with what she was referring to: Approximately two weeks ago a young boy in Little Whinging, Surrey claimed that he and two friends were attacked by 'a tall, blue woman in Jedi-robes that used the force to throw them across the playground'.  
"Strangely the other two boys didn't want to make a statement. Two of them have been absent from school for the next couple of days.  
"Normally I would discount the story out of hand. It seems to be an obvious cover up of a playground squabble gone overboard.

"But our perceptive Miss Granger has rightly pointed out that there is a connection between the two incidents. Both times the subject is a tall woman and the colour blue plays a role. Coincidence? Is it the same woman?

"I have asked myself the same question and have done some digging. I found out that on the weekend before the Little Whinging incident 'Return of the Jedi' was first shown on television. Strangely enough that film features, tall, beautiful women with tentacles and blue skin.

"You might be tempted to think that this proves the connection. It does not. The boy from Little Whinging might have seen the film and thought about it when fabricating his story. Same with the girl from the store. Or it could have been costumes, inspired by the film. Again, what are the odds that somewhere out there is a species that almost looks the same as us? If there are other intelligent inhabitants of this universe I doubt the look like minor variations of us."

The little girl seemed quite contrite following his analysis so he flashed her a sympathetic smile before answering the next question. He was certain she was enthusiastic about the possibility that somewhere out there was intelligent life, just waiting for Humankind. He did not share her enthusiasm – his feelings were running more along the lines of dread - but could appreciate it all the same.

* * *

"What are we doing here?"

Harry was standing next to the hangar door getting impatient with his new friend. Liara meanwhile was busying herself with some equipment – mainly tubes but also other stuff he couldn't make sense of.

After they had their rest, putting the headscarf incident behind them, she had flown the Alexandria down and parked her in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There it floated just above the surface.

"Just have a little patience Harry. I'm almost finished," came Liara's voice from under one of the devices she had set up over the last week. There was a clank. "There," the Asari crawled out, oil staining her clothes and face. She typed on her omni-tool and the large door opened. Harry was still amazed by the little device that apparently could do almost anything. He couldn't wait to have his own!

Tearing his eyes from the orange glowing device he turned only to take a startled step back. The ship was partly submerged – only a few inches, enough to wet ones toes in the cargo bay. Only the water was held back by something, as if the door was blocked by a window. A couple of days ago Harry wouldn't have believed his own eyes, but having seen Star Wars with Liara the day before they went shopping he immediately recognized a force field at work. Not to mention all the wicked stuff he had seen on the Alexandria.

With a manic grin across his face enraptured by this new revelation he didn't see Liara coming towards him with some kind of mask in her hand. It was mostly transparent, covering the eyes and nose snugly with a futuristic breather apparatus just below. The strap that secured the thing had special pockets for the ears.

"Can you swim Harry?" she asked, a little bit afraid her plan would fail because of this little detail.

"Sure! We learned it in school last year. I'm not really good because I couldn't practice during the summer, but I can manage two lengths without water wings!" he proclaimed proudly.

"Very good Harry. Now this here will allow you to breathe under water and talk to me and... ah you will see," she told him, helping him putting on the mask, putting the breather in his mouth just as he was about to squeal his trademark _W__i_cked. It came out more like Wigrlgd.

"Now follow me. We don't want to scare them off," she told him, turning away and advancing towards the barrier. Quickly she shed her clothes. All of them. Just as she was about to cross the invisible barrier, she noticed that he was not following her. Turning back she saw him rooted on the spot, mouth agape and eyes wide open in shock.

"Something wrong Harry?" she asked, not at the least self-conscious. He could only shake his head and follow quickly. With a last look at him she put another breathing apparatus in her mouth, forgoing the mask, and stepped through the barrier. Harry stood before the invisible wall for a couple of seconds then, eyes closed, took the last step. It felt like pushing through a thick molasses maybe an inch thick. Not really braced for the transition he lost his balance and splashed into the water. Liara sniggered at his clumsiness, earning her an indignant glare as soon as Harry resurfaced.

It took him a couple of moments to adjust to the strange feeling of breathing through the device but soon he was delighting in the freedom it provided. He completely missed the tube that began pumping water into the container. After making certain he was well adjusted, Liara called him to follow her. They didn't have to swim far for Liara to start making strange, high-pitched noises. Harry stared at her at a loss what was going on.

"Liara?" he asked her carefully.

"Oh right. Sorry about that," she said distractedly, once again bringing up her omni-tool and typing away. When she spoke next he could understand her.

"Come! Let's play! Come!"

Now Harry was even more confused and was seriously doubting his companions mental health after five minutes of her strange calling. Then he saw several sleek shapes advancing towards them. _Dolphins!_

What followed was a veritable cacophony of cries like "Friend!", "Hello!" and "Let's play!". Somehow he could understand the dolphins and after a quick explanation Liara confirmed that there was a translator build into his mask. The rest was a blur. Harry spent some time swimming with the exuberant creatures or holding onto them as they jumped out of the water. It was like nothing he ever experienced.

Liara apparently already knew this particular pod and was greeted like an old friend. Later she would tell him that she had spent some time with them over the years she had been on Earth. She had been greeted almost like a loved family member that they hadn't seen for a long time. Harry now received much the same treatment.

It had come as a surprise to Liara that there was a second sapient species on Earth, even though they were barely intelligent enough to have developed a form of language and a basic culture. As a pet project she had started to build a translator to understand her new friends better. Much to her horror she learned that living wasn't all fun and games for them. Industrial fishing was a serious danger to them and during her time with them three dolphins of the twenty she came to know ended up dead because of it.

After saving Harry, she asked herself why she couldn't do the same for them. It was not like they would be missed by the Humans. This time she had asked her mother first. Benezia was reluctant at first, but Liara made a solid case by pointing out that this way the Asari could closely study the effects of interference by a more advanced race on a budding newcomer. After making sure the biosphere on Thessia was suitable to the immigrants she was given the go-ahead by the Matriarchy.

Harry did not take much notice of the discussion between Liara and the leader but he got the gist of it. They were to go with them to his new home. _Home!_ It was the first time he really thought about the far away planet as home. He hadn't even been there but seen plenty pictures, read up about it and was really looking forward to see it himself. Liara had told him that he wouldn't be able to interact with anyone outside her mother's estate as his presence there had to stay a secret but he didn't mind. Especially after being informed just how huge the T'Soni residence was – it really gave the Forbidden City a run for its money. Somewhat reluctantly Liara had told him, that her family was considered akin to nobility in Asari space. It wasn't that they had real power but a _lot_ of influence and considerable wealth.

Unlike most Human nations the Asari didn't have an elected government and neither some form of absolute government. Instead each and every one above the age of 100 had equal say in all matters that concerned them, even members of different species that happened to live in Asari space. Political leaders emerged from discussion forums on the Extranet but were largely unpaid and had to relay on their personal influence and skill in persuasion to advance their agenda.

For practical reasons there was another layer: the Matriarchy.  
It consisted of distinguished leaders and handled sensitive matters – clandestine operations, situations that required rapid action or were considered to controversial (times of war, the budget...) to be handled by _all_ Asari.  
Matriarch Benezia was considered one if not _the_ leader of that institution and that after becoming the youngest member only a hundred years ago.

Harry was startled out of his musings by a dolphin floating by. He sat on the ramp, having had his fill (for now) of playing. He hadn't noticed that Liara was beside him, a look of concentration on her face and blue... something around her hands. And there was the floating dolphin, also surrounded by the blue thingy. Harry was at a loss what exactly he saw. The blue glow around both looked like smoke but also like electric sparks. It didn't seem to hurt either one, so he decided it was the coolest thing he ever saw.

"Wicked! Can you try that with the shuttle?" he shouted after Liara had successfully lowered the first dolphin into the now filled tank.

"Do or do not. There is no try," she said in a passable imitation of a certain other alien. She too had taken a shine to the films they had watched together. Sporting a grin that matched his Liara continued to float the rest in. She had to take a break halfway through and refill her energy with a special drink that apparently tasted quite bad.

"Can you teach me to do that?" Harry took his chance to ask her.

"Maybe," Liara told him evasively. "We will have to check once we are on Thessia, but it could be. The initial tests I did on you show you have Element Zero in you. But I don't know if we can fit you with a Biotic Amp."

She had explained about Biotics to him the day after she had saved him. Harry's relief at being told his 'freakishness' was a highly sought-after ability did wonders for his self-esteem, especially after Liara showed him what she could do – at least the more harmless applications like Stasis, Lift and the like. He had then listed all the strange things that happened to him and Liara indulged him in demonstrating similar feats.  
He still insisted to call it the Force and asked when he could get a lightsaber. Which sent Liara into a tirade of how inefficient, ridiculous, and above all dangerous such a weapon would be. She had to admit that it would be pretty cool however.

* * *

Far away – at least if one didn't think in astronomic units – in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore smiled at the two teens before him. Nymphadora Tonks and Charles Weasley had spelled trouble from day one. Despite being in Hufflepuff and Gryffindor respectively they were thick as thieves, having met on the train in their first year and maintained a close friendship ever since. They were the current resident pranksters at Hogwarts, a position Albus hadn't seen unfilled since his own days as a student. Apparently there was some unwritten law about that.  
And he wouldn't have it any other way. Life would be dull without a prank every once in a while, as long as they remained benign.

Like the one that brought the couple into his office this time. Somehow they managed to spice the pumpkin juice at the Halloween feast and everyone that drank it would have his or her head transformed into an evilly grinning carved pumpkin. In addition the pranked would be compelled to laugh like a stereotypical villain. (Albus enjoyed going to the cinema ever since his neighbour Charles had introduced him to it – another friend that he missed dearly, having died ten years before)

Just as he was about to reprimand them in his usual friendly manner – like a kind but disappointed grandfather – a loud whistle was heard from somewhere behind him. Years of training let him keep a calm face, but behind the mask he was very worried. The whistle meant something was wrong with the wards.

"Ah, something has come up that requires my immediate attention, I fear. Nevermind, run along now," he told them, waving them out of his office. They glanced at each other, showing conflicting emotions. Deciding not to look a gifted horse in the mouth they shrugged and left.

As soon as they were out of the door, the aged Headmaster rushed to the table where he had laid out the ward-spotters. He immediately saw the one that made the alarming noise and stumbled, catching himself on the table, knocking over several of the spindly instruments. The wards he had put in place at Privet Drive 4, the wards that were meant to protect Harry Potter had just failed.

It took Albus Dumbledore several minutes to see that the second instrument, the one that monitored the boy's life, was still the same as it has always been. _Thank Merlin he is still alive!_

* * *

_This is it. My big adventure._

Harry was sitting in the copilot's chair while Liara made some last-minute checks. The dolphins were chattering excitedly over the intercom. To his left he could see the blue Earth. Soon they would leave, maybe forever.

"Any doubts Harry? It's not too late..."

"No. I want to do this. There is nothing down there for me..."

"Very well. Then let's go."

Despite his words, Harry couldn't help to feel a bit sad. He gave the planet he grew up on a solemn wave in farewell.

"So long, and thanks for all the fish," the dolphins apparently felt pretty much the same.

Earth vanished behind them as the Alexandria accelerated towards the Mass Relay anchored to Pluto. As far as Harry understood, they were like entrance and exit points to a large network along which lines a ship could travel almost instantaneously from one relay to the next. It was truly amazing!

Before he knew it they arrived at their destination. The structure was gigantic! It was several kilometres long with two curving arms enclosing a blue glowing core. As they approached several rings, concentric with the core began to rotate fast and faster.

"You might want to brace yourselves. The feeling takes some getting used to," Liara said, just before she guided the ship closer to the Relay. Harry saw a blue corridor forming and with a tug somewhere behind his navel he and the ship were hurdled to meet the stars.

* * *

**AN:** You didn't seriously expect me to NOT make a horrible reference to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, did you? After all it's the Monty Python and the Holy Grail of science fiction!  
Also I've mentioned it in Fate Reversed: Asari are Bene Gesserit (Dune) and I would like to add that they look a lot like Twi'lek (Star Wars, just more and shorter tentacles).

I apologize for stepping on my soapbox with the dolphins. I'll try to keep my preaching to a minimum.

Albus Dumbledore will not be evil in this story. Like he said to Harry in the books, being a great man only meant his mistakes tend to be greater. He will try to manoeuvre things in a way that would lead to the best possible outcome for everyone involved. Also keep in mind that he doesn't know yet that Voldemort will return – he only suspects. Right now he hopes for Harry to grow up normally, maybe one day become his protégé and successor, and deal with Voldemort if and when he returns. More on this as the story progresses.

**Codex:**

_Stealth Technology: _  
The stealth technology Liara uses is able to shield her and some of her equipment (shuttle) from being seen and is sophisticated enough that the rather crude active detection methods (radar) Humans have at their disposal won't detect her easily. I suspect a concentrated effort could break through, but as long as nobody's looking for her...  
However, these measures can be compared to hiding under a blanket. It might be enough to hide from a baby but another adult will just snort and rip the cover away.  
It will be years (almost 200 years in fact) until the first effective – against similarly advanced foes - stealth technologies begin to emerge. First of course is the Normandy that hides her heat signature (and some fancy paint that helps against improved forms of radar) and later we have the personal cloaks that are advanced, combat-ready variants of what Liara currently uses.  
And then of course we have magic. Oh boy...

_Translators:  
_In Mass Effect they are sub-dermal implants that translate in real-time. Liara's translator is a bit more advanced than the standard issue and it can not only translate what she hears but also what she says or rather what she wants to say (the Hanar use a similar system as they communicate via bioluminescence). The drawback is that her voice sounds clearly artificial when she uses it. For now Liara can't speak to Humans for risk of discovery, but she will learn English in time just like Harry will learn the galactic trade language and the Asari mother tongue.  
To clear things up: It's not possible to translate animal sounds this way, as they have no real 'language'. It conveys abstract things like happiness or reluctance but for example can't express the why. Dolphins (at least here in this story) are a bit more articulate. They are by no means the only race on Earth that could be considered to be on this level – even discounting all the magical ones.

_Breathing mask-thingy:_  
That thing is inspired by the device Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon use in Phantom Menace. It takes the oxygen directly out of the water.  
As any SCUBA-diver can tell you, talking with the breathing apparatus in one's mouth is not really conductive to proper understanding. That's where technology comes into play. I reckon it should be possible for a suitable clever software to make sense of the garbled noise and translate it into something intelligible.  
I love technology!

_Asari Culture:_  
Asari in general are not really concerned about nudity so there is no taboo – comes from being an all female race. Liara might not be promiscuous and considered prude, but she has no problem with swimming in the nude.  
My image of the Asari culture is heavily influenced by PMC65's fabulous story 'The Shepherdess and the Questing Beast' (and its prequel), albeit they lack the extreme supremacist tendencies and deviousness. Go read them!

_The Alexandria:_  
Is a scientific vessel. It has large storage spaces, a rudimentary laboratories for field analysis and can hold up to two shuttles. There is also a luxurious living space that seems a bit out of place (Benezia had insisted that her daughter have some comfort) and a simple cockpit. Think one of the freighters from ME1 with the Captain's quarters from the Normandy SR2.  
The ship can be operated by a single person and relies heavily on VIs. As it is not a military vessel it has no offensive capabilities worthy of note. However the small mass effect accelerators used to blast larger asteroids to pieces could double as guns. They aren't powerful enough to be a threat to another vessel larger than a shuttle but that assumes kinetic shields. The Alexandria can easily demolish anything Humankind could throw at her and her kinetic shields would outlast anything short of a large-scale missile spam. Nuclear weapons however would bring her down – if they could get to her.

**Review answer** to Lawless that I couldn't PN and was too long for the top-AN:  
I agree with some of your points, and while Harry most certainly will be more in awe of the magical world in general, he will also be decisively less so at certain times. After all he's going to see a very advanced galaxy before stepping into the magical world. Imagine him doing Astronomy... I also toyed with the idea to chuck Harry into Ravenclaw. The problem I have with that is that I haven't got a clue how to develop the proper friendships. If someone's got an idea, I'm all ears.  
Your timeline is mostly correct, but I have taken some liberties. The story is currently set in 1987 - we are in mid-October, Harry is 7, Liara 97 and Harry will start at Hogwarts in 1991. The ME timeline is largely unaffected by this, meaning shit will hit the fan around 2180.

That reminds me of another problem i have. I would like for some, if not most, of the alien characters from Mass Effect to make an appearance. Some, like Samara or Wrex, are obviously quite simple. Others not so much. Currently I plan to use ancestors that are mostly the same as their descendants that will later populate the Normandy. It's crude but offers a lot of possibilities. What do you think?


	3. Arriving on Thessia

**AN:** Thanks to everyone who spotted my little blunder in Chapter 2. Medi-Gel was indeed invented by the Humans and so Liara could not have used it in 1987. I take it as a huge compliment that so many not only pay that much attention but also take time to point it out to me. I would like to take the opportunity to make a small amendment: Currently, Harry is 7 and Liara 96. In the story itself I got it right but in my review reply to Lawless I added one year to Liara's age. Hope she doesn't warpsplode me...  
Since it was apparently not clear from the last two chapters: The discovery of Earth and Humankind is not generally known throughout the galaxy. In fact it is one of the better guarded secrets of the Asari and the Asari alone. The reason is that they open Mass Relays into previously uncharted clusters in defiance to the laws they themselves made. What they find is kept secret from both the Council (the Asari representative might know about it, but that's another story) and their allies. Of course the Salarians might know but they aren't telling. Liara does not know about all the details but as she attends the balls her mother hosts she overhears certain things. It is understood that she keeps those to herself.

Furthermore I found myself a beta! Any complaints about spelling and the like should now be directed towards Reddiffi :P  
Just kidding. Give the man a round of applause please!

Also: The reviewers have spoken! The Potters will be something akin to lesser nobility. Not as high as the Blacks but they are Somebodies. That means Harry could live his life as a comfortable gentleman philanthropist if he would like to, but he's no Bruce Wayne. The T'Sonis however...

I might be going slightly left of canon with my description of everyday life on Thessia but we never see how things are in the games, do we? I've taken some inspiration from the fantastic fic 'Aeon Entelechy Evangelion' by EarthScorpion (he himself took inspiration from a large variety of sources like the works of Alastair Reynolds, Ghost in the Shell, and the RPGs Cthulutech and Eclipse Phase).  
Same goes for Harry Potter. It is my belief that the books barely scratch the surface and I will try to fill the gaps. For example: What does 'Grand Sorcerer' mean? What's the difference between Alchemy and Potions? Just how did Dumbledore know what happened on Halloween 1981?

* * *

**Chapter 3: Arriving on Thessia**

Immediately after the disastrous news about the failing of Privet Drive 4's wards Dumbledore apparated there to investigate what had happened in person. By then it was late evening and the citizens of Little Whinging enjoyed the time before bed in front of their faithful televisions. The aged wizard forced himself not to panic and be methodical about his visit. First he checked the wards as it was the easiest and fastest task – they were truly gone, meaning it was not the ward spotter that had failed. Additional testing revealed a slow fading and not a sudden breach. Either someone was very patient or the wards disappeared of their own accord.  
Next he paid his old friend Mrs. Figg a visit. He had placed the Squib near Harry to watch over him without alerting his relatives. She would tell him if any of her Half-Kneazles had spotted unsavoury characters in the neighbourhood – he doubted it, as she would have notified him instantly if that would have been the case. Still he had to make sure first.  
Declining her offer of tea, he stopped just long enough to make certain Mrs. Figg knew nothing substantial. She hadn't seen the boy for two weeks but that was nothing out of the ordinary. There was no gardening to be done this late in the year and Harry had earned detentions like these before. She had noticed that he wasn't attending school but neither had his cousin for a week but that could be explained by one sickness or another. Her familiars hadn't alerted her either.  
All in all, the visit was a waste of time and Dumbledore quickly left.

Standing on the Dursley's doorstep he briefly contemplated if the current crisis could have been averted if he had taken a more direct control over Harry's life, but he quickly dispelled all thoughts about what-ifs. It was no use to cry over spilled potion. Much as he would have liked to play the grandfather he knew he would not have been welcome here and thus jeopardize Harry's safety.  
He rang the doorbell. Inside a man began shouting about inconsiderate cretins and ungodly hours but soon after the door opened a crack. Albus remembered the woman eyeing him from times past, when he had delivered her sister's letter. He was saddened to see that time hadn't treated her well. He had to squint hard to see the family resemblance.

Petunia's eyes widened in shock. It was clear that she too remembered who stood on her doorstep.

"Petunia, I need to speak to you about Harry," the Headmaster demanded, trying to sound gentle and grandfatherly yet unyielding. He had no doubt that some of his uneasiness, some of his fear, seeped through. Mrs. Dursley seemed to recover from her shock and a hard gleam settled in her eyes.

"I should have known you would show up. There is nothing here for you. He has run away, just like his mother. Now leave," she hissed, wary to alert her husband who was still sitting in front of the television.

"Please Petunia, I need to find him. Won't you tell me what happened?" Dumbledore pleaded. She seemed to consider it for a long minute. Coming to a decision she deflated slightly.

"Not now. Come back in two hours. Meet me in the kitchen," not giving him time to protest she closed the door and went back to the lounge to appease Vernon that it had been nothing.

It was a very conflicted Albus Dumbledore that decided to use his magic to break into a Muggle home. While others thought nothing of casually invading the privacy of those they thought to be their inferiors he intimately knew that slippery slope. Decades ago the very same reasoning had cost him his love and his family; he had learned his lesson. He appreciated the need to keep their world secret but he could do without the irreverent attitude so many displayed.

With a few flicks of his wand he made himself invisible and muffled the sounds around him. The locks on the door were no match for his magic and soon he found himself inside. He slowly made his tour through the house, looking for any sign what could have happened. He carefully inspected the upper floor, looking for Harry's room. The first door he tried led to a single bed room. A boy, a charitable person would describe him chubby, dressed in pyjamas was watching television, mouth hanging open in mindless abandon, a bag of chips in one hand, the other greasy from its frequent dives into the bag. Just in this moment the boy threw the empty bag over his shoulder where several of its kind already rested and grabbed another one.  
It was obvious to Albus that this was not Harry Potter but rather his cousin Dudley.

The next room proofed to be a bathroom and like the rest of the house it was in an impeccable state. By contrast, the next room was a mess. It was smaller than Dudley's room and was full of discarded toys, several of them broken beyond repair. The single bed did not seem as if it saw use very often. Still Dumbledore thought it to be Harry's, as there was only one other room left – the Master's bedroom.  
Wanting to find out more, he brushed some of the toys from the bed and sat on it. He began to chant under his breath in preparation. It was not strictly necessary for what he planned to do, but it helped him focus. With a final word, he grasped the bed with his free hand. His expression became slack for a minute than he frowned in confusion.

The spell, or rather the magic he used was old and obscure. Some people knew about the mind arts but they were a misnomer. It wasn't about the mind at all – it was about memories. Few realized that memories did not need a mind to be stored. Places had a memory of their own, especially when magic was near, and a skilled wizard could access them. Generally that ability wasn't very useful.  
Unlike minds which could be influenced to show the Legilimens – how preposterous a name for a mere apprentice - what he desired to know, a place seldom showed any preference and only very powerful events could rise on top of the general confusion. Seldom had he encountered a place where this had happened. The last time was exactly six years ago.  
From an unremarkable place like this bedroom, the best Dumbledore could hope to sense was what moods were prevalent, who frequented the room, and if magic had been used.

There was no trace of Harry having been to this room for any length of time. Where then did the boy sleep?  
Continuing his exploration he made sure that none of the rooms in the upper floor could have housed the boy. By the end of his investigation, Dumbledore was even more confused. There were traces of Harry but he did not live in any of the rooms. He checked the attic and the basement with the same results. Almost ready to give up, he finally found the place where Harry Potter had spent the last six years – the cupboard under the stairs.

Albus wanted to rage and shout but he could not; not until he got to the bottom of this. He had feared that the boy was not treated well here, but never would he have imagined... _this_.  
Placing a Notice-Me-Not charm on the open door so that Petunia or Vernon would not stumble upon it, he once again performed the memory charm, sitting on the small cot under the stairs.  
He could feel the misery, the dejection, the sadness but strangely there was also curiosity, a strength of will, and a vivid imagination. It appeared that Harry, being confined to this hole, had escaped into his mind.  
Absent-mindedly Dumbledore reached under the mattress to free a book that had been a constant fixture in the cupboards memory over the last half-year: Michael Ende's Neverending Story. The book was shabby but obviously well-loved. He didn't know the book but had seen the film. It made him smile sadly in reminiscence, eyes misty.

Composing himself he stood and left for the kitchen. The older Dursleys had gone to bed by now and it was quiet in the house. After some time he heard a loud snoring from upstairs and soon later someone making her way down the stairs.

"What do you want here? Hasn't your kind done enough?" a confrontational Petunia Dursley, standing in the kitchen door with her arms crossed, demanded to know.

"I just want to find out what happened to young Harry, Petunia. After that, I will leave and never return. Obviously it has been a mistake, trusting you with the boy's care," it was hard remaining civil, but somehow Albus managed. Anticipating that he would need it later, he cast a silencing spell on the kitchen.

"What did you expect you... you freak!" Petunia hissed. "Did you expect me to care for him, just to let him go when the time came for you to swoop in and take him away, like you did with my sister? To have him bring other nasty freaks home like that Snape boy or his father? Should I have gone against my husband or expose my son to his freakishness? I'm glad he ran away. It's better this way."

Dumbledore took a deep, sad breath. If this was how it was in this household it was no wonder that Harry had left, if he indeed did of his own free will. He had been a fool for not listening to Minerva six years ago, hoping that the once loving woman who was willing to give up her own world just to be with her baby sister would take her nephew in. And now he had paid dearly for his mistake, more importantly Harry did for six long years and now... Now the boy's future was uncertain. He was alive but where? Was he happy? Was he safe?

"Can you tell me any specifics? When did he leave? Did anybody force him to? Has he taken anything with him?" he fished for information, hoping for something that could help him track the boy down.

"Two weeks ago he didn't come home from school," Petunia resigned herself to elaborate. She wanted the Headmaster out of her house as fast as possible and if answering his damn questions was what it took to accomplish that she would comply. "Dudley has met him in the park. They played a bit and then one of your people showed up and hurt my Diddikins and scared him away. That's the last time anyone of this family has seen the boy. Dudley's friend Piers was there as well and saw the whole thing. Vernon was incensed! He told Dudley to stay at home from school, so that nobody could question him and link this... business with your people to us.  
"We haven't asked Dudley about what exactly happened but Piers was all to happy to report it all to the paper. According to him, they were attacked by a women in robes with blue skin. She's done something to stun my Dudley and then throw him back. They both ran away after that, leaving the f... Harry behind."

They were silent for a minute, each lost in their own thoughts. Dumbledore was trying to make sense of what he had been told. Blue skin was not a common feature to any species that could pass easily as Human. But charms or potions could account for that. Most likely the person was a witch that had disguised her features by something eye-catching and thus draw attention away from more telling features. Rather ingenious, he thought.

"Very well. Thank you for your assistance. Like I promised, I will leave now and you will not see me, nor Harry again," he finally said, standing up to leave. As an afterthought he added, "The wards that have kept Harry _and your family_ safe the past six years have fallen. It is unlikely that they will ever be restored and you are vulnerable now. It is also unlikely that you will be attacked in the near future, but it _is_ a possibility. Were Voldemort to return however...  
"I will notify you in that case but it is up to you to make preparations. Goodbye."

Petunia was stunned. Dumbledore was almost out of the room when she finally croaked "Wait! Could you... If... When you find Harry, could you please let me know? I... I don't want the boy anywhere near this house or my family but I.. I have to know. He's all that's left of Lilly..."

Albus had stopped without turning. He didn't turn after hearing her out but nodded his assent. Without another word he left the house and with a faint pop left Privet Drive behind.

Before returning to Hogwarts and organizing a widespread search he knew was doomed to fail, he popped by the park Petunia had mentioned. Not really expecting anything substantial he was not disappointed that besides some very faint traces of magic and both Harry's and Dudley's echoes he did not gain any information.

* * *

Harry Potter awoke to the gentle sounds of his alarm clock – some modern Asari music he had grown quite fond of. Years of conditioning weren't easily forgotten so he did not have to struggle to wake up. However he quite enjoyed being able to just lie there for a couple of minutes, let the music wash over him and contemplate in how many amazing ways his life had changed over the last half year.

He only had to take a look around for visual proof – well if he had his new glasses on. He didn't live in a cupboard any more but rather a room bigger than any other he had seen back home. He figured the Queen might have a bigger bedroom than him, but he wasn't sure. Most of it had been empty space but it had soon cluttered with all kinds of flotsam – things that had captured his interest and had been thoroughly examined.

"Harry, are you awake?" a female voice asked him through his audio implant. She phrased it as a question but Harry knew from experience that it was only a courtesy. His muse-VI always knew.

Rubbing his eyes and grabbing for his glasses he made to get up. After a half year he still thought his new glasses were wicked cool. Unlike his old, round spectacles the new ones had almost no visible frame and formed a kind of visor. The glass itself was very thin but at the same time very sturdy, making them almost invisible.  
The coolest thing however were the extras. Liara called it augmented reality which was a mouthful in his opinion. From what he understood, his glasses acted like the film projector in his old school, only instead of the screen it created images directly in the glass. Most of the time they projected only small things like an arrow to guide him were he had to go, the time, a reminder or who was calling him on his omni but they could do more. Like showing him Leia, the administrative aspect's avatar of his muse who right now 'stood' next to his bed.  
To separate the VI projection from real persons it was rendered in shades of blue, making her look just like the hologram R2-D2 showed Luke Skywalker in the film. Only in high-definition.

"Yeah, I'm awake," Harry answered his muse's earlier question. Then he took his time to yawn and stretch extensively. It felt good to have the space to do so. "What's up today Princess?"

"Not much," she answered. His day's schedule appeared in front of him. "After the usual exercises and breakfast you have a tutor session until lunch. In the afternoon you are scheduled for the last pre-surgery examination with Skui and Liara. Afterwards you have been invited to have dinner with Lady Benezia. Liara will be there as well."

"Oh joy," he mumbled unenthusiastically. While the morning exercises with Shiala were quite relaxing and he didn't mind the learning, the later half of the day was not to his tastes. He did look forward to his own Bio-amp but he could do without the medical probing. Why did it have to take so bloody long? If he could only read while the good Doctor worked her magic...

And dinner... Honestly, Harry did not know what to make of Liara's mother. She acted so stern all the time but sometimes, when nobody was looking, she would give him a conspiratory grin or ruffle his hair – an activity that had quickly become a sort of favourite with those Asari which were allowed contact with him. At first he was a bit put out by the curious expressions on their faces, like he was some kind of zoo animal, but as his novelty diminished both sides became more comfortable with each other. Now he could appreciate it for what it was - a simple show of affection.

He knew that this private dinner would decide if he would get the Amp and was resolved to be at his best behaviour. The Obi-Wan-persona of his muse would instruct him on what was expected of him. But first he would need to get through the day. In the shower he practised his Asari so he could make a good impression without embarrassing himself.

* * *

Harry had at first been suspicious how some weird movements in slow motion would help him to use his biotics. He couldn't see a connection. He didn't mind their repetitiveness – he was used to task of this nature from doing chores for his aunt – but he was keenly aware that he was nowhere near as graceful as either Shiala or Liara.

When he voiced his concerns to the later she chuckled and ruffled his hair. Liara told him that was exactly how she had felt. Then she launched herself in a lengthy lecture on the history of the art of Talmere, the origin of his exercises. He found it fascinating how it began as a form of martial arts like Karate and later was modified to accommodate biotics. To his disappointment Liara told him that his exercises were not usable like that – they were just movements to later help him with his biotic training, but if he studied hard Shiala might teach him the true art.  
Then she gave him a week to research the links between his exercises, the mnemonic – he had to look up that word first! - movements that triggered biotic abilities, and the moves employed in Talmere.

Initially he groaned but completed the assignment nevertheless. However the reward blew his mind and he promised himself not to scive of work, ever.  
After he had given a small presentation of his findings and the usual routine, Liara and Shiala had staged a mock-fight for him. It had been awesome! They made impossible leaps, did something he could only describe as teleport all over the place, and when they clashed one usually was sent flying a couple of yards. The fight was quick but brutal.  
After the show and he had regained his speech he asked in an awestruck voice if this was how fights were fought in the galaxy. Again he was disappointed when he was told technology made this style of fighting almost worthless and Shiala proceeded in demonstrating what she meant. Both she and Liara wore protective suits and she explained that they had kinetic shields integrated in them. During their match they had been set to a special practice mode but for the sake of demonstrating she turned hers to full power. A blue flicker washed over her.  
Calmly she beckoned Liara to take a biotically empowered hit. Like before Liara's hand started glowing a faint blue but this time Shiala didn't even rock back from the force that before had sent her flying several yards. He was told that to breach her shields Liara would have to focus more of her power, rooting her on the spot and making her an easy target.

Despite this dampener Harry was resolved to learn Talmere and even the announcement that it would take years for him to become proficient did not deter him. From that point he was much more motivated to do his morning exercises.

By contrast his tutoring sessions were an eye-opener from the start. The first three months he didn't even notice they were actual lessons. That time was dedicated to teach Harry the basics of the Asari language and culture and at the same time he thought Liara English. Mostly they watched movies or read books in both languages, strolled through the large T'Soni-complex or made small forays into Armali proper – this time it had been Harry who was either cloaked or disguised. After they could converse without the aid of a translator, at least most of the time, they cut back on the language and culture lessons and moved to a more comprehensive schedule.

Liara's teaching style differed vastly from what he was used to from his old school. Back in England the teachers would mostly lecture and leave most exercises as homework. The concept of projects was only slowly taking root and interactive studies or independent research was a total unknown.  
He liked going to school but this new learning method was something else. It was challenging but much more satisfying. Most of the time he was simply encouraged to find things out for himself, Liara enthusiastically helping him along when needed. That he didn't have homework was even better. He never noticed that it got simply assimilated into the tutoring sessions. It was a more roundabout way but it kept him highly focused and motivated. As a result, he retained things more easily and studied longer because of it. That he learned a lot of useless things along the way didn't seem to matter at all.  
For example today he learned how a lightsaber could work and that it was really a ridiculous idea. He pouted a bit at that, much to Liara's amusement. Still he probably was the only seven-year old that spent two hours researching plasma physics. It was watered down to a level he could understand, thanks to the adaptive resources that would adjust the information to his knowledge – but it was still very advanced physics.  
He still vowed to make a replica sometime in the future. Liara agreed to help, if only to make sure it wasn't dangerous.

* * *

Later that afternoon Liara met with her mother in one of the conference rooms, wearing the business suit she had bought on Earth. She thought it made her look professional but subtly accented her looks at the same time. She was a little nervous as always when she was about to speak with Benezia about her work. She always feared to be inadequate and that today she had to present her findings on 'Project Harry' made matters worse. Not only was the subject very dear to her but she did not consider herself very versed in the science involved. She felt it should be Skui giving the presentation but her mother was quite clear on that. Liara was in charge and there were things Skui couldn't be told. Like the fact that Earth held no Eezo.

Clearing her throat Liara began her meticulously prepared presentation.

"Let me start with a quick overview. Most of it you have heard already but a reminder might be beneficial," she made a gesture and the image of a humanoid shape appeared. Several bright lumps were spread out throughout the body, most of them inside the head and near the spine. "As you know biotics are enabled through Element Zero nodules. Typically a Bio-Amplifier is needed for a Biotic to effectively use his skill. The notable exception are Asari, but even we benefit from Amps.  
"However Harry is different," she said, letting a second image appear also one of a humanoid. This one did not have several distinguishable bright nodules but countless strands of fine light running throughout the body. "As you can see the Element Zero is not concentrated into discrete deposits. Instead it is spread out along the nerves of the body and appears to be part of the nervous system.  
"This was known almost from the start. Since then we have made more detailed scans and they reveal that the structure is fractal in nature down to the atomic level," to emphasize the point the second image zoomed into a spot where the bright lines were especially thick. Even though the image itself changed you couldn't really tell at which scale it was at any given moment. Only when single particles became visible did the fractal nature break down.

"This scan is – or better, was unique. Never before has the Element Zero distribution been measured to this detail. For completeness sake we took one of these detailed scans from other Biotics. Specifically Shiala, Skui, and myself," this time the first image changed. In addition to the bright lumps a very faint net of lines appeared, similar in structure to those in the second image. "To our surprise we discovered that at least the Asari show a similar underlying structure.  
"We managed to take additional readings from both Turian and Salarian Biotics but they did not show any new structures. Skui theorized that this might explain how we as a species are able to use our Biotics even without amplifiers or how our melding works. Maybe even both. This could be ground breaking!"

Benezia smiled at her daughter. Even though it was not her chosen area the scientist in Liara was jubilant. "Well done Little Wing. This could very well be a turning point in our self-understanding. But let us get back to the matter at hand. Have you found anything about why there is Element Zero in Harry?"

Liara fidgeted a bit. It was obvious she couldn't answer the question to her satisfaction. She replaced the previous two images with a diagram. The line was at first climbing at a steady but shallow rate. About a sixth through the total length the slop became steeper only to even out a bit at roughly the middle for a while but soon regained the steeper angle.

"As you know we measured the amount of Element Zero in Harry's body every week. We were only mildly surprised to find the amount increasing even at a very slow rate – a few hundred to a few thousand particles a day in fact. What was more shocking was that we found out that the Thessian diet caused the rate to soar.  
"By carefully monitoring what Harry ate, how much Eezo was in the air and how much gets absorbed by his lungs we came to the conclusion that while he was able to incorporate it, some of the growth can not explained this way. That made sense, after all he already had Eezo in his body on Earth – it has to come from somewhere. It appears somehow Harry's body simply creates Eezo from either other elements or raw energy. We can't think of any known mechanism that could do this. Our best guess is that there is a reverse Mass Effect at play that converts Dark Energy into Element Zero.  
"What really shocked us was discovering that our bodies do it too. Again we served as a three person control group and while the rate of growth in me is much slower it is there. It was much harder this time, but eventually we confirmed that again part of the growth is not explainable by ingested Element Zero. Skui's and Shiala's rates are even slower, barely measurable over a week.  
"We haven't been able to test this with Biotics from other species, but we established that none of the additional Eezo ends up in the nodules, only in the newly discovered filaments. This does not necessarily mean that non-Asari Biotics don't accumulate Element Zero over time, but it makes it a likely possibility."

They lapsed into silence for a while. Liara stood fidgeting while Benezia sat at the table, a contemplative look on her face.

"So, by trying to solve the riddle how Harry came to be a Biotic, you managed to shed some new light on ourselves but really came out with more new questions than answers. Correct?"

"Yes mother, I am sorry to disappoint, but..."

"Don't be Little Wing," Benezia interrupted her gently. "It is my understanding that it is normal when venturing into new scientific territory to encounter more and more questions rather than answers. I believe this phenomenon will baffle the minds of many bright researchers for years to come. Sadly we can't reveal everything you and Skui have found just yet, but I am certain when the time comes your work will prove to be a solid foundation.  
"But we are running late for our dinner with Harry. What does Skui say about implanting him?"

"Well, it has been a challenge," Liara answered, heartened by the vote of confidence. "He's certainly unique. But there might be a way. The main problem is the missing nodules, so we have to coordinate the filaments instead. Traditionally we connect key nodule and trust that close neighbours synchronise by themselves. Skui is convinced that we can achieve something similar if we add a connecting layer atop the Element Zero, keeping in mind the structure might still have to grow.  
"We came to that conclusion early on. Creating the layer however took some ingenuity. In short we will use nanobots and let them create the connecting layer slowly. It might take some time – maybe a decade – to fully establish that layer. We think that will be enough. After all he is already able to use his biotics instinctively but lacks the control to access them consciously. We hope to see results after a month.  
"He might not ever become as powerful a Biotic as the raw amount of Eezo suggests but it really is too early to tell. I'm quite certain we will face many surprises along the way."

"What are the risks?"

"Slim to none. That's why it will take so long. At any point in time only a handful of bots will work on the layer. They are not self-replicating, necessitating refreshments twice a year. We will be able to monitor the progress and intervene in case something goes wrong."

"Very well. I give my approval, but it has to be his decision."

"Yes mother. But do you really think Harry would deny himself the Force?"

* * *

"Hell yes!"

"Language Harry," Liara (and his muse Leia) chided. Liara had to hide a chuckle though. Even the normally stern Benezia's corners of her mouth twitched in a barely restrained grin.

"Sorry Liara. I meant, of course I want to be able to use the F... my Biotics. And as long as it's safe.. When can we do it?"

Harry's reaction had been predictable. He had listened attentively to the plan and waited for Liara to explain everything only asking a few questions for clarification. When Benezia gave him her approval and asked what he wanted however he lost all pretence of calmness.

And as easy as that it was settled. A week later Harry laid on an operation table and was put under. The procedure was mostly routine and setting up the nanobots was as easy as getting a shot. He woke up a day later with a strange nub at the base of his skull just under the skin where his amp would come in later. It itched for a while but he soon forgot all about it.

He couldn't wait for his training to start!

* * *

**AN:**  
I had a hard time writing nodules instead of noduli. Damn Latin...

Some of you might fear/hope that Harry will become something like a Jedi. That's not my intent. Talmere is not that useful except for dodging but it is draining. Taking cover is more economic most of the time. However Harry's fascination with the Force and lightsabers will be something of a running gag.  
Hmm... It would be cool if Harry bullies Hermione into developing a lightsaber-spell and uses it to finish of Voldemort... Ah hell, what are Omakes for.

* * *

**Codex:**

_Ward spotter:_  
A ward spotter is a small device that is linked to a specific ward. It is something of a misnomer as it does not really spot wards but monitors them. Like a portkey it can be almost anything as long as one can inscribe runes on it.  
Ward spotters allow anyone to check up on the ward; are they still there, how strong are they, do they need to be replenished... There is a slight risk involved as anyone that gets hold of the spotter to a specific ward has a better chance to unravel the ward in question. This is less of a problem as long as the spotter is kept inside the wards (like the Hogwarts spotters).  
Some wards, like the blood wards that protect Harry or the wards that protect Hogwarts can't be unmade by just anyone even with the help of the spotter, because those wards have their own rules.

_Memory magic:_  
The Mind Arts, Occlumency and Legilimency, are a subset of a broader, and largely forgotten branch of magic that deals with memories. The only form that is still in widespread use is the Obliviate charm which is mostly used to hide the wizarding world from the Muggles. Another variant is the pensive and the art to extract memories and review and even share them. Forgotten is the art to create pensives that can accurately re-enact the scene as it _was_, not how it was _remembered_. The only known remaining pensive that can do this is in bound to Hogwarts and can not be removed from the Headmaster's study and its capabilities are a closely guarded secret. Since other pensives can be easily fooled by constructed memories, they are not eligible as evidence in court.  
Two arts that are almost completely forgotten are how to extract memories from places and objects related to them and how to seal specific memories – fabricated or not - into objects, to be released by a trigger. The last is different from Legilimency and pensive memories by that the memory is bound to the object and doesn't need a wizard or a specifically created tool. Like with a portkey anything can act as a container.

_MUSE-VIs:_  
Muses are specialized VIs that act as a sort of interface for their users, often acting like a personal assistant. They are usually highly individualized and can take many different shapes and forms. They can handle everything from appointment scheduling, correspondence, to trivial things like playlist management and even data crawls.  
The individual capabilities can be expanded by proprietary or selfmade add-ons. Over time the muse learns what its user wants and can anticipate many repetitive tasks, like automatically setting up appointments by scanning mails or listening in on conversations. How invasive the muse acts is up to the user. Society frowns upon muses that express personalities as they might encourage curiosity for real AIs. Young people generally don't care however. Harry's muse actually has several different personalities depending on the task.  
Hacking a muse is a serious invasion into a persons privacy and thus a crime. It can even be considered espionage or treason in some cases.  
The concept of muses are taken from the Pen&Paper RPG Eclipse Phase which was released under the Creative Commons license. Yes, that means you can get it for free.

_Talmere:_  
This is an ancient fighting style similar to Earth's martial arts, especially flashy Kong Fu. Basically it's every Wuxia-fan's wet dream. It's fast, it's flashy, and features gorgeous women doing amazing things with their bodies. What's not to like?  
In this fic it serves mainly as scenery but it gives Harry the ability to defend himself in close quarters even without a wand. By the time he reaches Hogwarts he will be competent but skill can only partially compensate for missing strength. Any adult, slightly skilled hand-to-hand fighter will beat him easily.  
The art has become obsolete with the advent of personal shields. The fighting style favours fast but weak hits coming from unexpected angles. Modern kinetic shields can withstand such an onslaught without noticeable drain. The only way to break through would be to concentrate on a single, powerful punch. However gathering strength takes time that can be used to riddle the Biotic with bullets.

* * *

**Answers** to Alex J's review:  
Life expectancy: Your estimates are correct if you assume a linear relationship and if there is no overlap. Wizards live longer than baseline Humans but mixing the two worlds doesn't automatically create perfect results. Also Human medicine is very different from Alien medicine as they have fewer restrictions (see Medi-Gel). You can expect wizards to live for 200-250 years but not much longer. Yes that means some of the Hogwarts students will be around for the ME storyline. Not all of them though.  
Yes, magic is more versatile and directly compared to biotics more powerful (that said a Leviosa is less powerful than a Lift) but you forget about technology. What's the best way to kill a mage? A sniper hiding a mile away is the answer given in The Dresden Files. I call your sniper and rise you an orbital bombardment from the Destiny Ascension. No Harry will not become a sniper (although Garrus' stand-in will be).  
As for the culture shock. Yes it will be there but I think you paint a harsher picture than necessary. First he is no more sheltered as some of the children from wealthy families (both magic and muggle). I can't see Hermione, or Malfoy for that matter, have much contact with crime or want. True, there is a difference in what is available from a technological point of view but I think you overestimate that impact. And yes I did travel abroad, in fact I just returned from a month-long trip to Asia. There I met a lot of people who stayed there for years with no inclination of going home anytime soon.


	4. Dantooine

**AN:** Do we have any Londoners here? Don't be shy!  
Reddiffi, my beta, is in need of someone who knowns the seedier districts (or at least those that were seedy around 1988) for his upcoming Harry Potter/Saints Row the Third crossover. Drop him a PM if you can help. Don't worry, it's just a couple of questions, nothing that will hurt.

Again, thanks for all the reviews, PM's and general display of support. This time especially to WriterApprentice, Noir Detective and Reddiffi for the long and fruitful discussions.

Also a sincere apology to all that feel offended by my brushing off of the abuse situation. It is not the aim of this story to deliver on-screen justice to the Dursleys although some fallout may come their way in this chapter. For the rest of this fic however they are inconsequential, even though they may pop up again. They played their part in shaping who Harry Potter is – a caring, loyal and utterly moral person despite the abuse.  
I'm not in favour of taking or allowing abuse or neglect quietly, but this is not a perfect world. Sometimes the guilty are not getting theirs. It's sad but all we can do is try our best.

Some have again mentioned the pairing in their reviews. It's your right to not like it but I have reasons for it. I've mentioned Liara and Harry will have a loving sibling relationship but they won't see each other romantically. It would actually be more likely for Hermione and Liara to hook up.  
Overall romance will take a back-seat in this story. It's there and it's important - expect snogging and even some adult action (the last mostly off-screen), but no declarations of undying love every second paragraph and an excruciating tally of their amorous interactions every third.  
I will try to make Liara, Harry and Hermione a real trio like the original in HP but with even stronger ties. The story is about friendship and doing what's right and not what's easy. It's also about exploration, science and advance.

Last build-up chapter! Next one is accidental magic and a certain letter...

**AN2:** It has been pointed out to me that a certain name could be mistaken for a spelling error. That is not the case and I've changed the last two letters on purpose. You will know who I mean.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Dantooine**

Albus Dumbledore sat behind the huge desk in his office and stared at a grainy picture. That it was not moving would astonish most of his peers, never mind the questionable reputation of the newspaper – and that term would have to be used cautiously. The Headmaster had long ago found that those were the best source of information. True, most of the tall tales were fabrications but like the Quibbler – another good source – they sometimes contained nuggets of truth one couldn't find elsewhere. This particular one was equally precious and worthless.

Precious, because it showed a boy who could only be Harry Potter after his kidnapping and clearly quite content.  
Worthless, because it didn't help Albus in the slightest, only raising new questions. Who was this mysterious woman in the picture that apparently had taken it upon herself to liberate Harry from his relatives? At first he had thought the blue skin Dudley and his friend had pointed out was a clever magical disguise but now he wasn't certain any more. Why would a witch use crude muggle methods to cover a magical disguise? Wouldn't she just cancel the transfiguration, glamour or whatever magic she used?

Albus Dumbledore did not know what to make of this puzzle. He was certain there was no magical being that fit the description. Was she under a curse? Was this all an elaborate plan to confuse potential pursuers? If so, it was a full success. Albus was at his wits' end, something he hadn't experienced in almost a decade.

It was into this scene a very enraged werewolf in the form of Remus Lupin barged in by throwing open the door so hard it banged to the wall.

"Where is he, Albus!" he demanded, for the first time forgoing the honorific in favour of his old professor's given name.

It did not happen very often that Hogwarts' Headmaster found himself caught with his proverbial – if non-existent – underpants around his ankles. In fact, the last time he had been a student in these halls, a good century ago when an embarrassing miscalculation revealed him as the mastermind behind a rather spectacular prank. Failed spectacularly, that is. Ever since he preferred to work indirectly.  
He had known Remus would pay him a visit today, he in fact had been alerted to the man's presence as soon as he passed the wards, yet he should not have been able to enter his office without the password. However that mystery was for later.

"Whatever do you mean, Remus?" he tried to play the ignorant, clearly not fooling anyone.

"You know what, or better who I mean, Albus. Where is Harry Potter?!"

"Can I assume that you disregarded my advise and visited the Dursleys?" Dumbledore's old and tried tactic of deflecting questions with questions of his own was doomed from the start and he knew it. Yet old habits die hard.

"You can bet your woolly socks I did! Now quit with the games and tell me where my best friend's son is!"

"I don't know," the honest, direct answer would have surprised anyone that had met Albus Dumbledore, just like mild-mannered Remus Lupin shouting and him and now breaking out into hysterical laughter would have surprised anyone who knew him.

"You don't know! Albus Bloody Dumbledore doesn't know where Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, the child he promised was taken care of in front of the full Wizengamot, is!"

"Yes. Will you help me?" Albus decided to go for broke.

"No," Remus was suddenly deadly serious again.

"What? But young Harry..."

"Let me rephrase that. I won't help _you_. You lost much, if not all of my respect. How could you leave him with those _people_? I have seen the evidence how the Dursleys treated the boy! Don't expect me to blindly follow you, but I will help _Harry_," it was clear Remus could have said more and Albus was desperate to find out what the last Marauder had done.

"You entered the house? Remus, what have you done?"

"Something I should have done three years ago. Really check up on Harry, not just looking from afar," Remus answered with a predatory smirk. He wasn't happy though. "After Harry didn't show for three days I decided to snoop around the neighbourhood. The talk was he ran away - can't fault him really. I placed an anonymous call with the police and when they came to investigate I invited myself along. I've seen the cupboard Albus! And so have the bobbies. The Dursleys face charges of child neglect and emotional abuse at the least. Maybe more. Both parents are looking at a prison sentence of several years and the boy might end up in an orphanage. Can't see anyone wanting to feed the whale.  
"Now, what leads do you have?"

After recovering from his shock, Dumbledore brought the other man up to speed. They both had to admit they hadn't much to go on, but just as they brainstormed on who the woman on the picture was and how to best proceed, a shrill warning wheezed from the Headmaster's ward spotters.

Harry Potter was in grave danger.

* * *

Harry awoke disoriented, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. He could tell it was morning outside by the way the sun was illuminating said ceiling and the singing of birds drifting through the window. Well, what passed for birds on Thessia. He doubted they were related to the birds on Earth. The lack of feathers was a dead giveaway.  
As Harry tried to remember what brought him to this room he noticed that moving was very painful. Gritting his teeth he rotated his head only to see Liara slumped in a chair beside his bed, sleeping an exhausted and fitful sleep. For a moment all he could do was stare at her. _What happened?_

It didn't take a genius to figure out he was in a hospital bed, but his drug addled mind did take a while longer to realize this. Harry was getting frustrated. He could clearly remember waking up from surgery in his own bed. At the post-op visit Skui had assured him that everything had went well and he would be able to practice his biotics on the next day. He remembered going to bed again, absent-mindedly rubbing the nub at the back of his neck, but now he found himself in a different place, hurting all over.

"Li...ara..." he rasped. It hurt to speak with his dry throat.

Liara jumped awake from her uneasy sleep. She seemed every bit as disoriented as Harry but as soon as she laid eyes on him she rushed to engulf him in a very careful hug. Even that hurt but Harry was not going to complain. The contact, even if it brought pain, was comforting, taking away the fear, confusion and sense of helplessness that had threatened to overwhelm him. His saviour was here.

"Never do that again Harry! You scared me witless, I thought I was loosing you..." Liara was sobbing into his pillow, hugging him just a fraction tighter, making Harry wince. His wincing intensified when he gathered his strength to weakly pat the Asari's back to reassure her.

"What... happened..." his throat still hurt, but he had to know. His mind was a mess and he wanted to figure things out as soon as possible.

Liara pulled back but before answering she reached for a glass of water and carefully brought it to his lips to let him drink. Swallowing was nearly as painful as speaking but afterwards he felt better. His voice wasn't that raspy any more when Harry croaked his thanks.

"We were just finished with our morning exercises when you asked if you could try to use your biotics. Shiala and I thought it couldn't hurt, but as soon as you concentrated..."

* * *

In a different part of the T'Soni complex a much less emotional meeting discussed the same event and its possible repercussions.

"Lady Benezia, from what Shiala and Liara have told me, Harry tried to Lift a leaf during their morning preparations two days ago," Skui reported, struggling to keep her voice dispassionate and formal. "He began screaming as soon as he made the correct movements and passed out seconds later. They rushed him into the infirmary where he had a seizure. We managed to stabilize him but during the night his vitals were all over the place. Thankfully he didn't have another seizure and yesterday went by without another incident. He remains unconscious..." she glanced at her omni-tool. "Forgive me, he was unconscious until five minutes ago but appears to be mostly fine. Liara is with him so I don't have to rush out just yet."

Taking a calming breath the Asari doctor continued. "We aren't certain what exactly caused all this but the implant obviously didn't work like planned. I have taken scans to see what has happened and the results are... astonishing. I don't understand them in the slightest. Maybe it's better if I just show you."

She brought a projector online to display a three-dimensional outline of Harry's body. Blue glowing veins symbolized the Element Zero that traced his nerves. An additional red layer formed around some clusters near the brain stem.

"This was taken after the procedure. I have verified the reading twice and found no aberrations from the plan," she explained. Tapping her omni once again the image changed to give a close up. The red mirrored the blue almost perfectly.

"After the seizure I took another reading. On the surface there were nor differences, but when magnified new structures emerged," she tapped her omni once more. The red lines were a hundred atoms wide and now covered in complex blue patterns almost like...

"Writing," Benezia whispered.

"How could that be, Mistress? True the patterns seem symbolic but..."

"Nevermind Tuisku," Benezia diverted her bondmate's daughter, ignoring the mumbled 'Don't call me that'. "What else have you found out?"

"Well... Be that as it may, this is hardly the most astonishing part. We took another reading last evening," a slightly flushed Skui continued. The image changed again. This time the red-with-blue-accents expanded half-way across the brain and neck. "Somehow the incident made the implant grow. It shouldn't do that! And before you ask, it's completely covered with those 'symbols'. They seem to repeat themselves, forming groups of sevens and what I would call super-groups of forty-nine."

"Very well, you will continue to monitor the situation. What about biotics? Can the boy use them after the incident?" Benezia asked

"Honestly? I don't know," the doctor answered with a thoughtful expression. She then elaborated"There was no sign of his body rejecting the implant, despite his reaction and the changes of the implant itself. Every test I ran returned positive. He is perfectly healthy although in a lot of pain because of strained muscles. His brain-waves were a bit of a mess but have returned to normal yesterday. Still I would advise caution and medical supervision during the next attempt."

Lady Benezia did not answer immediately, taking her time to sort her thoughts and emotions. It never paid to make a rash decision. Finally she spoke as if thinking out loud "I wonder if the old ways won't suit young Harry better. Maybe I should teach him myself."

"Forgive me, but what do you mean with 'old ways'?"

"Oh you wouldn't know dear. Long before we Asari had implants and other technical aids, we used different methods to access and nurture our powers. They were mostly abandoned because it took years to master even simple things, but then Harry already was able to use his biotics without training and implant. That should help," Benezia finished, the last bit told almost as if talking to herself. "Thank you for your report. Now go and check up on your patient then get some rest. And please tell Liara to get some rest also."

* * *

Hermione Granger was not paying attention. Or rather she was paying attention to the wrong thing. She might dispute that notion, as in her opinion there weren't many things more worthy of attention than books.  
Like the newest science fiction novel she was currently reading while waiting for the great break to finish. Contrary to popular belief she didn't limit herself to educational or specialized texts. She enjoyed reading for fun in her down time. Even Hermione Granger wasn't that much of a workaholic.

She could be forgiven for not paying attention. The last two years had been horrible; she had been bullied almost constantly. That was when she had discovered she was different. Not like those imbeciles she was forced to share classes with thought – it didn't have to do with her bushy hair, her buckteeth, or her know-it-all attitude. Gradually the others left her alone as they figured out, _things_ tended to happen to those that upset Hermione.  
They weren't bad things. When she tried to get away from her tormentors they would trip over unseen obstacles, doors would lock behind her, or they might suddenly forget about her, but those things might be explainable by simple logic. Others weren't.  
One time Hermione had left the class room in tears. She had known that as a bad idea as soon as she left but couldn't go back in with her pride intact. She settled under a tree in front of her school, wanting to be left alone but knowing they would come for her. She had started to read to calm herself and didn't notice that for the better part of an hour several teachers searched for her – while she was sitting in plain view from the school gate.  
Another time the book stolen by one bully had flown right out of his hand into hers.  
Anyone unbiased would describe Hermione as a bright girl and would call it an understatement. Brilliant in an almost scary way was more like it. Obviously it didn't take her long to figure out that she was causing those things to happen when she was emotional and even had a little control over it. But for all her powers, they sometimes seemed to mock her. Why was she able to turn another girls hair blue but her own was absolutely hopeless?

Sadly, the new kid didn't know about that. He had transferred to her school a week ago for reasons unknown and was quickly establishing himself as the biggest, loudest, most obnoxious, and stupidest of the lot. Hermione was quite aware of social dynamics but couldn't figure out why that made him an instant leader. In her opinion a leader should have smarts, charisma, and at least some manners. Dudley Dursley possessed neither of those qualities.

"Hey Granger! That a book on haircare? Not that it would help much..." he started to taunt her. She didn't raise to the bait nor the ones that followed, she never did. It helped that they were very uncreative – she had heard it all before. Normally after a few insults they would leave her alone again, but Dursley was out for blood. He wanted to establish himself as the biggest and meanest and her not even looking up from her book was slowly frustrating the boy. He had to look good in front of the two cronies he had dragged here.  
After shouting one derogatory insult after the other at her, he decided to up the ante. He made a step forward and with a swipe of his hand punched Hermione's book out of her hand, sending it flying a couple of yards.

This Hermione couldn't ignore. Her books were important to her. "Go away Dursley. You are just a bully and an idiot!" she dismissed him, angry tears in her eyes but with a glint of determination to them. She stood up and started to make her way towards her book, only to receive a push that sent her back to the ground again. She struggled to get back on her feet, looking back at the gloating boy and thought just how like a balloon he was, all round and full of hot air. She was angry now. No one had physically attacked her in months, the most she got were a few snide remarks about her enjoying learning. She was still glaring at the maliciously grinning boy with that special kind of hatred only children can manage, just as his feet left the ground. His bookends noticed before him and took several steps back. They knew strange things happened around Hermione and wouldn't dream to interfere.

Her eyes widened in shock as her powers once again came to the fore and it was probably the new look on her face that made Dudley take notice of his predicament. His grin changed into a look of shock then fear to be finally replaced with anger to mask them both.

"Let me down you freak! You are just like him! Freak!"

Hermione pushed herself up, grabbing her book in the process. They had backed her into a corner so rushing away brought her close to the floating boy that now appeared even rounder. She actually bumped into him, sending him spinning slowly. As she passed the school doors Dudley suddenly deflated and slumped to the ground. That by then he was arse over tit only added to the humiliation.

* * *

Liara should have known that Harry would have retreated to here. He had been drawn to the platform atop T'Soni-tower since his first week, but ever since he had been discharged from the infirmary a week ago he had become withdrawn, reminding her of the boy before she had rescued him from his relatives. He had lost his spark and it broke her heart. Once again she wondered how fast he had become a fixture in her life.

"Hello Harry," she said coming to a stop beside the sitting boy. When he acknowledged her, she sat down next to him. "It is beautiful up here, is it not?"

"Your English is getting better," he answered. He had taken to Asari much faster then she had to his native language. "And yes it is."

"There is a sense of freedom up here, I think. Maybe that's why I took to the stars early," Liara contemplated. Noticed the questioning glance she received she explained somewhat defensively. "What? Do you think you are the first to escape to here when it all got to much? I think I spend more time up here then you are alive."

"Really? I know you are old, but not _that_ old..."

"Why, you hairy... Okay, maybe I exaggerated a tiny bit, but I did spend many hours up here," she permitted. They both enjoyed their occasional banter and Liara's age and his hair were a favourite target. They fell back to companionable silence, just stargazing in the clear night.

"Now, are you quite done with moping?" Liara asked, getting back up. She grabbed one of the two bags she had left behind and tossed it to Harry. "How about I show you what real freedom feels like?"

"Liara?"

"Happy Birthday, Harry!" she cried while giving him a hug and a hair ruffle.

"You remembered? But I thought Asari don't celebrate their birthdays," Harry asked pleasantly surprised.

"Well, after the hundredth – or the thousandth – they tend to get boring. Besides, you aren't exactly Asari, so it's okay," she waved him off. "Now open that bag and get into gear. Time to fly!"

The present turned out to be a special kind of harness, something called a wing-suit, and a helmet. It wasn't exactly anti-grav but similar to a diver's vest the harness reduced the wearers mass to the point where it achieved neutral buoyancy in air together with the textile wings of the suit. Liara called it jokingly a SCAFA having read up on diving on Earth. Harry simply called it the most wicked thing since he got his own omni-tool.

He was unusually impatient during Liara's lecture about how it worked and the necessary safety protocols. She limited herself to the practical aspects, assigning the theoretical part as homework for Harry to work out the day after the next. Harry was too excited to pick up on that.  
When she was finally finished with talking and checking everything twice she pronounced Harry ready. Before she could do anything he simply ran up to the balustrade of the platform that slightly stuck out from the main tower and launched himself over it, leaving Liara screaming after him in fright.

To say he took to it like a duck to water – or bird to air – would be an understatement of epic proportions. Most first-timers floated around a bit, made some short and slow dives and generally felt very uncomfortable if not downright afraid in their new surroundings. Turians and Asari as a rule fared better as their species' ancestors evolved to live in air and water respectively, but Harry was something else.

He leaped head-first with a whoop of pure joy into a three hundred meter dive, arms and legs firmly pressed together and quickly reaching terminal velocity. He spread his extremities and turned so his belly pointed downwards, extending his 'wings' and switching on the harness. His greater surface and buoyancy stopped his fall in a heartbeat and a slight tilt brought him into a gently downward spiralling arc around T'Soni-tower. At the other side, facing the sea he found an upwind which he used to get back up. Liara was screaming into his head all the time but he simply ignored her, sporting a goofy grin. He would pay later but right now, he didn't care too much.

He did a backflip into another dive, this one even longer than the first as Liara's voice finally filtered back into his brain.

"Harry James Potter! You will come back this instant or you can forget your second present. Pity, the Serrice Dobhars are playing..." two things made him listen. First, the bane of every child and man in the galaxy: the use of said individual's full name by an angry female (well, mono-gendered something) and second, the mention of his favourite sports team in combination with the term 'present'.

He reluctantly broke off his dive and made his way back to the tower, where an angry Liara was tapping her foot on the ground. She had picked that habit up from a vid they had watched together and employed it when she was angry with Harry – thankfully that didn't happen all that often.

He landed in a run, never stumbling or getting out of balance. That dispelled the look of anger on Liara's face for a second to be replaced by amazement. Usually people landed in a heap – even experts seldom got the landing right.

"Harry! What were you thinking! You could have seriously injured yourself with that stunt!" she started to scold him, while he just stood there trying to force a properly chastised expression, but all he got was his goofy grin. It simply wouldn't go away! Liara soon picked up on this and threw up her arms in frustration.

"Fine! Be that way. But I'm warning you! No more stunts like that or we are not going to the game tomorrow!"

"Going? Game? Tomorrow?" Harry was taken aback. Obviously he knew that his (and Liara's) team played tomorrow but 'going to' implied... "You mean, we are going to the stadium? Like in, for real?"

"Yes we are watching the game from the T'Soni box, but _only_ if you behave yourself," Liara asserted somewhat forcefully. Harry's vigorous nodding had to suffice to indicate his understanding as the goofy grin was back in even greater force than before.

* * *

Garred Vakarian was cleaning his sniper rifle's barrel for what felt like the hundredth time. There wasn't much else to do. Some glorious assignment this turned out to be – running with a crew of idiotic grave robbers to find out who was behind them. And for that they needed a Spectre? Sure he was the newest recruit and he expected to be handed the shitty assignments but this was... insulting.

"Hey, Vakarian!" the resident grumpy Krogan rumbled. Wrex had actually grown on him , they were both warriors, not cowardly idiots with guns. There was certainly no love lost between them but there was a certain amount of respect. He would hate to arrest... He corrected himself, after all he wasn't with C-Sec anymore. Garred had forgot for a moment that Spectres rarely arrested people – they usually went for a more permanent solution. "I'm leaving. If you have any sense in that bird-brain of yours you will too. This place – and the crew - is a dump."

Garred silently agreed. It really was a dump, but he had a mission. A Turian didn't know how to duck and retreat was flat out as well. "Can't do that Wrex. Made a commitment."

"Hrmph," the Krogan looked at him closely. For a moment Garred thought he had been found out. "We all have to do, what we have to do. Don't get yourself killed Turian."

Maybe Wrex knew. He wouldn't put it past the old warhorse. He was almost frighteningly intelligent and insightful – for a Krogan. But he wasn't going to tell anybody. _Thank the spirits for small wonders. I think he likes me. Well, tolerates, anyway._

He watched as the rest of the crew – mostly Batarians, some Salarians and a smattering of Turians; fifteen all told – picked the ruins clean. Soon they would have stashed all valuables and then it was back to that dump of a World Without Law. Maybe this time he would get to meet the backers. He doubted it, but one could only hope.

* * *

"... and Calis pulls off a wonderful safe in the last second! Wow, that girl _is_ flexible. I just have to ask her out... And with that the first half is over and it stands six to five for the Dobhars against the Pesidis! See you in twenty minutes," the announcer cheered. It had been an exciting game so far. Harry and Liara were the only Dobhars fans in the T'Soni box, the Matriarch being a firm Pesidis supporter nobody wanted to offend her – it only showed that they did not know her at all. Benezia T'Soni resented suck-ups and anyone not standing up for their own beliefs would never get her respect. But she was very good at hiding that and using those without them noticing. It had taken Liara over nine decades to understand.

As they sauntered towards the buffet the duo wore matching grins like cats that got the cream – their team was winning after all – and Harry for once wasn't fidgeting because he had an itch he couldn't scratch without ruining his make-up or tugging at his fake-tentacles. Liara always seemed to take delight on his predicament when they were out in the city – not that it was that often – clearly taking much satisfaction in what she considered payback for their shopping trip back on Earth.

Today however they really couldn't care less. It had been years since Liara had been to a Skyball game – sure she had watched the vids but being there in person was very different and for Harry it was the first time ever to a public sports event ever. He enjoyed every minute of it. Together with Liara he had cheered when the fliers had come close to the goals and groaned when they got thwarted once again by the keeper. They had winced when one of them had been violently smacked aside by a disruptor and booed the referee when he didn't call it a foul. Now they had laden their plates and where chatting away about the game so far on one of the lounges in the back of the box. They were startled out of their oblivious bubble by an amused chuckle in front of them.

"Enjoying yourselves?" the Matriarch asked with a sparkle in her eyes. Liara was starting to rise and respond in the required polite manner but Harry beat her to the punch.

"It's absolutely brilliant auntie Benezia!" he exclaimed with his smile still in place. Both mother and daughter turned towards him in surprise. If they had eyebrows they would have raised one. Belatedly realizing his faux-pass Harry scrambled to his feet and bowed slightly deeper than normally required.

"Forgive me Matriarch. I meant that we are honoured that you grace us with your presence and share this interesting event with us," he said with a polite but slightly nervous smile on his face.

"Ah, it is good that you remember your manners, young Harria," the Matriarch forgave him with another chuckle. As always Harry winced at the name. In his opinion it was just another way to torment him. "While you should always strive to present yourself with grace _in public_, it is quite understandable to get caught up in the moment.  
"Now, to more important matters. Tomorrow you will begin your training."

"But mother, isn't Shiala still on her mission for you?" Liara asked confused.

"She is, but she will not be your teacher in this. Shiala is an excellent huntress and a good teacher in biotics but she doesn't know what I will be teaching the both of you," Benezia waved away her daughter's concern.

"The both of us? But..." Liara was even more confused now, but Harry didn't care. The wide grin was back in full force again at the prospect of finally learning the Force. Biotics. Whatever.

"Enough daughter. You may ask your questions tomorrow," she dismissed them both and accepted their 'Yes Matriarch' with practised ease.

At the end of the day, a very jubilant Harry left the stadium. The Dobhars had won an exciting match, beating their arch-rivals for the first time in five years and it was looking good for this years league. Tomorrow he was beginning his training and later he would meet his new friends over vidcall. Life certainly was good for Harry Potter.

* * *

Harry had thought Shiala and Liara the epitome of grace when they did their morning exercises but Benezia was from another world entirely. The Human had long ago noticed that it wasn't about speed at all. In fact the slower the harder it was to do all the balancing and even doing the arm and upper body movements slowly revealed many mistakes that wouldn't show when he was doing things fast. Benezia was achingly slow but still retained a fluidity that seemed otherworldly. He couldn't spot a single mistake.

By the time Benezia was finished Harry's muscles were cramping from the strain and even Liara seemed out of breath. Benezia merely regarded them, a blank look on her face and hands clasped behind her back.

"Now, as soon as you have regained your breath and relaxed we will begin," Benezia told them in her no-nonsense voice. "But before that, questions?"

"Yes mother, why am I here? I already am proficient in using my biotics. Not that I mind, or that I wouldn't be here anyway, but I imagined I would be more of a spectator," Liara asked, fearing if she wasn't too forward. "I am concerned that having another student that is already more advanced might demotivate Harry," Harry stuck out his tongue at her. "Sorry." she apologized sheepishly.

"You assume that you will be able to use your old skills, Little Wing," Benezia admonished gently. "What I am about to teach you is the old way, and it may be a long time before you are actually able to do anything more than just sit there quietly for an hour a day.  
"The old art is difficult to master and few bother. Outside the Matriarchy and the Justicars few even know about it. It is not a secret but it has fallen out of use after the rise of implants and amplifiers. However, it has also many advantages.  
"Liara, try to Lift the Dabo."

Liara was a bit startled by the sudden demand but motioned quickly towards the weight used in biotic training. It didn't move even an inch. She tried again, still no change. She looked at her mother in puzzlement. Benezia was still standing serenely, not having moved the tiniest fraction. Opposing another biotic required a little more power than the original user expedited. It didn't surprise Liara that her mother could counter her but to do it so nonchalantly and without moving a single finger... "How?..."

"Currently I am blocking you, as you have certainly guessed. The old way doesn't relay on biofeedback and gestures to trigger our biotics, instead it uses superior mental discipline to meet the same goal," Benezia explained. "The normal way requires you to make a certain movement that triggers certain neurons which stimulate specific Element Zero nodules. Your amp and implant work together to connect your other nodules to achieve the desired result. By repeating the gesture over and over the amp fine-tunes itself to the point where the effect is tangible.  
"It is hard to describe to those that haven't experienced it yet, but the idea is to relax into a state of mind where you can feel your biotics like one of your limbs. In time Lifting an object with your biotics will come as natural as going over and picking it up with your hands.  
"Normally I wouldn't even consider teaching this technique to both of you. Liara, you would be thought in a century or so but considering your mature attitude, when you are not corrupted by a certain someone that is, it cannot hurt. Harry, you are a different species. From what little we know about the old way it should only work for Asari. Not only do most others not have the time to devote many years to develop their potential, the differences in brain-structure renders our training methods ineffective.  
"However it is glaringly obvious that Humans are much more similar to Asari than any other species. Furthermore you already showed that you have some control over your powers. I have hope that by teaching you alongside Liara we will be able to adjust to any differences.  
"Now, to begin you will meditate like you have been thought by Shiala and for now merely listen. I will recite a chant in an ancient Asari dialect that should help you relax into the frame of mind I spoke before. You will not achieve it today. Begin."

For the next month, the three of them meditated for one hour in the morning and another one after dinner. If Harry found this ridiculous he didn't voice his opinion. He had seen The Empire Strikes Back and wouldn't judge the methods of his teacher lightly. In his mind Benezia was like Yoda in more ways than that both could lift a small starship with their minds only. He was glad that she didn't have the green dwarfs speech impediment though. He doubted he could have kept in his laughter otherwise.

By the end of the second week Liara and Harry joined Benezia in her chant. At first the strange sounds rolled awkward over his tongue but the repetitiveness soon intensified his meditative state. By the end of the month he was certain he could feel _something_.

Benezia had told them it was much like exercising a muscle, but one they hadn't used before. They were to move in a way they couldn't have imagined before. It was hard. It was frustrating.

But when the small pebble that was under the assault by the brunt of Harry's concentration finally shot up the feeling was glorious! His smug smile wouldn't vanish for two weeks – incidentally the same time it took Liara to do the same.

They never found out if his lead was because he hadn't been thought otherwise before or because he had already done similar feats unconsciously but after Liara closed the gap they were fairly even in their progress. Liara's decades using her biotics finally gave her an edge and the experience balanced out Harry's natural aptitude. However she felt like a novice again. Her Lifts were barely enough for the lightest of exercise weights she had used at ten when she first practised her biotics. Harry was slightly weaker but had better control. He could let his multiple pebbles zoom around the small enclosed garden they used as their training ground with a precision even Benezia was hard pressed to match.

The Matriarch never mentioned that it usually took decades to achieve the level of power and control they displayed after only a couple of months. Nevertheless she praised them for their dedication and progress.

After half a year they were deemed ready to use their skills in combination with their amps and implants. Skui and Shiala were in attendance as they feared for a repeat of Harry's accident. It was unlikely but nobody wanted to chance it. A month prior they had begun to incorporate gestures into their exercises. They weren't necessary as Benezia had demonstrated at the beginning, but they improved their focus by the simple act of pointing toward their target. Also they would provide the link to the technical aides later.

Liara went first, after plugging her amp back in. She had not used it in the past six months, forgoing biotics outside her practice, and the usually unnoticeable warmth it generated was now keenly felt. Dismissing it as unimportant she focused on the task at hand. By now that special frame of mind Benezia had thought them to achieve was second nature to Liara and it took her only a second to slip into it. By contrast she had to rack her brain for ten seconds to remember the correct gesture to Lift the weight in front of her. It was the heaviest of them, easily five-hundred pounds. Liara was an unusually strong traditional biotic and normally this wouldn't even offer a challenge.  
The blasted thing didn't even twitch.  
Liara tried again. Nothing. She blinked in non-comprehension.

"Relax, Little Wing," Benezia intervened before her daughter could become frustrated. "You amplifier has to adjust to the change before it can properly assist you. Give it a few more tries and if nothing happens try a smaller weight."

Taking a breath of relief, Liara obeyed. After ten tries she was sweating a little but at least she managed a small twitch. The next try saw the weight lurch a foot into the air.

One try later the thing was embedded into the overhanging balcony. Everyone stared at it in surprise. Then Harry raised one eyebrow while looking curiously at his friend. "Show-off."  
Liara grinned sheepishly, now sweating buckets and panting slightly.

"Well, that was unexpected," Benezia dead-panned. "An increase of power over time is to be expected, but this... Are you sure you have only tried to lift the target, not, say, trying to launch it into orbit?"

Liara stared at the ground castigated but proud of herself nevertheless. She dimly wondered when Benezia had developed that dry sense of humour.

Harry's turn was anti-climatic by comparison. Not having a fully developed implant and decades of accumulated data and fine-tuning by his amp, his power if anything had decreased slightly. Benezia however was certain he would recover from the small setback and soon eclipse his formerly best efforts if he continued to practise.

Over time they would reduce the reliance on the elaborate gestures in order to let their amps adjust on the old method. Harry was even encouraged to be sloppy in hope it would quicken that adjustment. For now they were to simply exercise in daily life as much as they could while maintaining their morning routine.

* * *

"Greetings Thessia-Clan," the Volus said. "How did your training go?"

"Very good Von-Clan. My teacher was very pleased with my progress. It will take some time to adjust to the new technique but she is optimistic," Harry replied formally. It was not yet time to engage in informal conversation. That came later.

The room was filled with virtual guests from different species. It was one of the upper-class' privileges that their children, even if they grow up on their homeworlds, to have a virtual space just to mingle with different people in order to prepare them for the big galaxy. To work with other species one had to understand them first and the sooner one started with it, the better. Therefore those gatherings were composed of a mix of Asari, Turians, Salarians and even sometimes Volus. Hanar and Elcor weren't unheard of either but both species tended to stay with their own. The Drell and Quarians weren't numerous or wealthy enough and nobody thought of inviting the nasties - Batarians, Krogan and Vorcha.

The current group was fairly even matched. There were three of each of the council races and one Volus. Well, actually there were only two Asari and one pretender but nobody knew that. They would have been shocked to know that someone of an unknown species was in their midst.

The Volus – Harry had dubbed him Bob Von because he couldn't pronounce his first name and it started with an Bo sound – he was currently talking to was one of the few he would call a friend. Bob was the third son of the Head of Clan Von one of the most powerful of the Volus clans. Their fortune and portfolio actually rivalled those of the lesser Asari houses.

"What? You finally managed to lift more than a pebble, Colony-girl?"

Apparently there was a universal law that any congregation of kids had to at least have one arsehole. Case in point: the Dantius sisters. Just his luck that he had to get two for a bargain. Harry thought they weren't as bad as Dudley and his friends – they couldn't physically touch him for one – but they sure knew how to get on his nerves. Once more he longed to tell them who was his guardian. The Dantius were one of the more influential Asari houses but compared to the T'Sonis they were barely above peasants. The T'Sonis were old nobility from the days before the Goddess while House Dantius hadn't even existed before the space-age. Telling the terrible twins that his teacher was no other than Matriarch Benezia T'Soni would shut them up in an instant. But of course he couldn't.

His cover was that he was the daughter of a relatively unimportant but wealthy Matron from one of the less glamorous colonies – nothing like Illium or the like but respectable. That also served to explain away his slight accent. Then of course he had to let it slip that he had problems learning biotics and the other two Asari were all set to lord over him. Nassana was usually the more vocal of them, while Dahlia was only glaring at him condescendingly. It was annoying but after Dudley and his gang they lacked the teeth to truly upset Harry. Especially considering that the other kids were mostly indifferent to the snide comments. They were more inclined to stand by him then join the sisters.

Especially Bob Von and Primus Vakarian. Liara would always remain his first friend and he really didn't know these two all that well, but the three of them bonded somehow. Volus were always the odd ones even without their pressure suits, Primus wasn't here because he was part of a particularly wealthy family – his father was some kind of special service agent as far as Harry was aware – and Harry himself... Well, he might be even odder than Bob.

Bob was a financial genius, even for a Volus, but would probably spend his life as his oldest brother's servant. He could strike out on his own and live fairly comfortable but in the end he would just trade one master for another. He was also a complete gaming-geek. He lived for simulations, mostly of the turn-based or economic type. Harry often played with him over the extranet, even though Harry preferred the more exciting action games.

Primus was a stoic but would make a funny remark that always managed to tickle Harry's British funny bone. His humour was of a deliciously black variety and his deadpan delivery just perfect. He would often join the two in their video-games, his speciality were real-time strategy games.  
Underneath his collected demeanour he missed his father who was away on a long mission but was duty-bound to suffer it in silence. Sometimes the hurt it shone through though. Harry could relate. Yes, he now had something like a loving family but he still longed to know his own parents. He still got maudlin from time to time. Not today though and neither would he suffer Nassana's belittlements.

"Just shut it Dantius. Spew your tripe somewhere else. Can't you see I'm talking to Bob here? Or do we look like we care what you have to say?" Harry felt very self-satisfied telling the bothersome Asari off. He usually kept a low-profile but today he just couldn't be arsed to care. Apparently it was the right thing to do, as the offending girl just stood there sputtering before storming off, sister in tow.

"Careful there Harria. That one is going to be a pain in the future," Bob cautioned. His grin however told Harry how much he had enjoyed the exchange.

"Yeah, you might want to tell your folks to be on the lookout. The Dantius are trouble," Primus agreed.

"Ah don't worry guys. Auntie could crush them with her little finger," Harry assured them with a conspiratory wink. The eyes of both his friends went wide. Both were schooled in the politics of the higher circles and were instantly aware of what Harry had alluded to. They didn't know any specifics and wouldn't ask, but it was a well known fact that those on the very top often employed aliases to mingle unobtrusively. Harry all but said that he was a member of the Sapphire Circle, a scion of one of the forty most powerful Asari houses. In a sense, he wasn't even lying. Liara was the T'Soni heir and he was her ward which was almost like a daughter – or son. _Why did the Asari have to be mono-gendered? It's really confusing._

* * *

At the same time Liara joined her mother in the study. The Matriarch was reading in her big armchair by the fireplace.

"Mother, I have a few questions for you," she stated boldly, slightly surprised by herself. Before her trip to Earth she would not have accosted her mother in this way.

Benezia shut her book – a real one, as she shared her daughter's love for the real thing – and looked at her expectantly. If she was peeved at the tone she didn't let it show.

"You are doing a good job at misdirecting Harry, but I'm not as naïve as him. Tell me, mother, how long did it take you to learn the old way?"

Benezia sighed. She had known her sharp daughter would pick up on that eventually. "A little over a century, Little Wing."

Liara plopped down on the second chair, sputtering in shock. She had expected a few years, her mother had hedged something along those lines, but this? To think that the Matriarch Benezia, praised as one of the most powerful biotics in the galaxy had taken longer than Liara's entire life to achieve the same as she did in only half a year – it was unbelievable, but her mother never lied. She mislead, withheld information, and used many other tricks but she never stated untruths.

"But... How?" Liara finally asked.

"I don't know Little Wing, not for certain. I always knew that you would be special, but this is even beyond my imagination," Benezia told her. Seeing the feverish expression on her daughter's face she reached out and put her hands on Liara's. "Peace daughter. You have to be patient. I always planned on telling you, but you have no idea how dangerous the truth can be. One small error, one word spoken to the wrong people and I would loose you. I could not bear that, Little Wing. I already lost your father, I will not loose you."

At the mention of her father, Liara took in a sharp breath. Benezia never spoke of her bondmate, questions had always been deflected. Seeing her daughter choke up the Matriarch went to hug her closely. It was the first intimate contact they had in many years.

"Patience Liara. I promise to tell you everything right after you become of age. For now, focus on what is in front of you. Let us try to figure out the mystery that is Harry's and your fast progress," Benezia said, softly stroking her daughter's back. "I promise you, what I know will not help us in this. Now, is there anything else?"

For a minute Liara just enjoyed the hug. Harry had shown her how much she missed physical contact with others. After her mother had distanced herself from Liara, she had become shy and withdrawn for an Asari. Harry had changed that but until now, Liara had not realized how much she missed her mother, not the Matriarch, in her life.

"There is another thing mother," she finally said, letting the embrace fade. "The University of Serrice has offered me a solo-project, starting in three months. Recently a survey has discovered some Prothean ruins near the Terminus border and they want me to do a preliminary investigation. It is a great honour to even be considered but..." she trailed off.

"But Harry," Benezia finished.

"Yes," Liara admitted. "I don't want to leave him alone here. Sure, he has you and Shiala and to a lesser extent Skui, but you have your own duties to attend as have the others. I simply can not leave him behind."

"Then don't," Benezia said with resolve. "Liara, if there is one thing I regret, then it is not been able to fully experience you growing up. I would have loved to spend months with you on your digs but my duties didn't allow that. You don't have that restriction. And Harry would surely love to accompany you. Isn't that why he went with you in the first place? To explore the galaxy?"

"I'm not certain... What if..."

"No ifs and buts, Liara. Just ask him, but don't pressure him. I'm sure he would love to go with you," Benezia assured her daughter with a squeeze of her hand which still held her daughter's. "Now go and ask him."

Liara was almost at the door when Benezia called out one last time. "And Liara... I am really glad you picked up our little stray. He has brought us closer together, hasn't he?"

Liara could only nod happily.

* * *

**AN: **I really wanted to call the Serrice skyball team the Serrice Delphinus in honour of PMC65's stories. But I chickened out. Ten brownie points to those who figure out where I'm going with the name I've chosen.

The World Without Law is what the Turians call Omega.

Timeline: Harry is currently 8 and a half, so currently the winter of '88/89 is slowly coming to an end. He has spent almost one and a half year on Thessia. Liara is 97 and change years old. She becomes of age at 100 but this is more a traditional occurrence. They become of legal age far sooner.

In my opinion character continuity is deeply flawed in Harry Potter. Therefore I will try to rebuild the characters as they are meant to be – or at least how I think they were meant to be. Last chapter was dedicated to Albus Dumbledore and I will pick up that strand again in the future. This time it's Remus and Hermione and I would like to explain what's behind the apparent changes in this chapter.

Canon!Remus has never seen first hand how the Dursleys treated child Harry and by book three the situation had improved. Also Harry is unlikely to elaborate on his pre-Hogwarts homelife. Remus was told to stay away which I don't see him capable of complying with completely. He had to travel around a lot so his visits had to be sporadic and he stood far enough away not to pick up how things stood at Privet Drive 4 however. Harry's vanishing act prompted him to investigate closer and that's how he found out. Now Remus respects Dumbledore a lot but I can't see him condoning the obvious neglect he had seen with his own eyes. From now on Remus will take a much closer eye on things. Don't really know if that means he will end up as the DADA-teacher sooner. As I really don't like Lockhart it might just happen (but then how to get the diary in place...). Reddiffi has pointed out that Remus is a Beta-character, while here he behaves more like an Alpha. Yes. However, in general I don't like putting people into baskets never to change. This Remus is more assertive because he felt betrayed by the last person he looked up to. That _is_ going to change a man.

The difference between this younger Hermione and her older self at Hogwarts is that this one had at least two full years of scorn, exclusion and mobbing behind her while the other just entered a new and exciting world. Currently she is putting up a mask of indifference tinged with arrogance to deal with it, leaving her lonely and an outsider. Unlike Harry she was encouraged, accepted and loved by her family (but it's complicated) and her inquisitive nature drew her to her otherness while Harry shied away from it. Therefore she explored it a bit, not unlike young Riddle but never maliciously on purpose. She is aware of her powers but can't use them actively (something that will frustrate her to no end), so when McGonagall finally shows up she will be exhilarated. She will look forward to meet people like her and gets rid of the indifference totally, opens up considerably, but some of the arrogance will remain, making her the bubbly person Harry and Ron meet on the train. By the time of Halloween however she will once again crack and without intervention revert to her old lonely persona.

**Codex:**

_SCAFA_: Well if there's one horrible acronym here it is. It's derived from SCUBA and means self-contained air flying apparatus. Yeah, horrible, I know. Moving right along.  
Ever seen those amazing Wing-suit videos on YouTube? If you haven't, watch some, as in right now – the stuff is just awesome. The wing-suit transforms the wearer into a Human flying squirrel and lets him glide over large distances. The eezo-drive reduces the mass to the point where the density of the wearer is almost equal to the density of the air surrounding him. Archimedes principle kicks in and he could – in theory - fly away. Most of the time that's actually not necessary to remain at a constant altitude, as aerodynamics come into play.  
The harness without the suit is often used in children or amateur skyball. There are some security measures in place to avoid injury but a reckless enough user can and will hurt himself. To really use the suit to its full potential the wearer must have a good understanding about winds, thermics and stuff like that. Harry, of course, is a natural.

_Skyball_: The sport Asari go nuts over. It's played mostly in the air with two teams of seven players each, who are all biotics. The aim is to move the ball into the opposing teams goal (surprise!) but the ball may never hit the ground, be carried or better manipulated by a player on the ground or leave the playing field which is of course three-dimensional. The ball may only be held indirectly by using biotics.  
Players use their biotics on team mates, opponents and the ball to achieve this. There are several standard fixed obstacles and objects to use your biotics against. Unlike combat biotics where Newton's Third Law is circumvented here it stays mostly intact. Meaning if you push against something even with biotics the thing pushes back with equal force – so if you push hard enough against the ground while lowering your own mass you will shoot upwards. Obviously directly harmful biotics are not allowed as is pushing another player directly to the ground.

_Harry's implant_: Is an one-of-a-kind device for the moment. It connects the spread out Element Zero in his body and synchronizes it to produce mass effect fields. It didn't work as planned. The theory behind the implant is sound but magic interfered. Without proper control Harry couldn't differentiate between biotics and magic. As a result the power was too unfocused, sending Harry into convulsions and shock. Following the principle of 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger' magic again interfered and helped things along. The runes covering the implant will ensure that it works and grows correctly. In time other benefits may surface.

_The Old Way:_ Is a special kind of accessing ones biotics. It was invented well before the Asari were advanced enough to even consider something like implants and amplifiers and back then it was the only way. It takes decades to gain any headway and even someone like Benezia took a full century to actually _do_ something. Young people my try to learn it but by the time they get anything in return they are old. By devoted training like what Justicars undergo that time constraint can be lowered but it will still take at least a century for it to finally pay off.  
Still the pay-off is significant. It is the single reason why (some) Matriarchs and Justicars are probably the most powerful persons in the Galaxy. They are almost an order of magnitude stronger biotically than anyone else.  
And if I made it sound almost like the Force, so what...  
Oh by the way: Harry still has a long way to go before he can make full use of those powers. Liara got eight decades worth of experience in her amp and her mind so she gets an immediate pay-off. It might not take him as long to reach similar levels but at least in the next ten years he will remain a lightweight. They will come in handy though.


	5. Batarian Bacon

**AN: **Thanks again for all the reviews and PM's. Special thanks to Reddiffi, my beta, DanTheJogger93, Leonineus, Noir Detective, Gillian Grayson, and getlostD91.

Sorry that this chapter took so long. I've run against a block with my other fic 'Fate Reversed' and I'm trying to figure out a decent Syllabus for Hogwarts. Honestly, there really isn't much about the progress in the books. The first new thing was silent casting in sixth year! Until after OWL's all subjects are repetitive. Where's the difference between _Wingardium Leviosa_ and _Accio_? Heck, the first one is much more difficult to pronounce for an ickle first year!  
So that got me thinking on how I will fill the lessons from first year all through seventh. Mind you, I'm talking about what decent teachers would actually teach. What are your thoughts on the subject? Got any good fics that portray the advance in material?

Also, I want to point out again that I did _not_ misspell Garred Vakarian's name. Garred is Garrus' great^3-grandfather.

I have taken some liberties with the timeline. I'm aware a particular movie referenced here wasn't released until after Liara and Harry left Earth. So what. I'm more than willing to bend time a bit for the sake of humour. Sirius would definitely approve. By the way, obviously I don't own the rights to that particular franchise either.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5: Batarian Bacon**

Liara groaned. She _so_ hated rising early but the deep, rhythmic bass, courtesy to her morning playlist, shook the bed leaving her no choice. While Freddy Mercury sang about how another one bit the dust – Liara had fallen hard for rock music – she ran the day's routine before her mind's eye. Just as she was contemplating skipping breakfast in favour for a lie in, the song changed to the cheerful 'Don't Stop Me Now'. Liara hated cheerful in the morning. Which was why it was on the bloody playlist in the first place. Groaning again she swung her legs out of bed and stumbled into her bathroom – as she passed the mirror she idly thanked the Goddess for not having to deal with morning hair – directly into the shower – she always slept starkers. Pyjamas were a foreign concept to most Asari.

Still bleary-eyed but slightly more alert, she stepped out of the shower after air-drying. Intend on grabbing her day-clothes – a simple one-piece jumpsuit – she opened the cabinet, fumbling with one hand for the garment. After half a minute she realized that she was clawing empty air. All her clothes were gone!

She blinked. There was a single outfit inside the cabinet and she recognized it immediately. After all it was only a week ago when she and Harry had watched that particular vid. Crossing one arm before her breast and pinching her nose with the other in sudden exasperation she tried to calm herself. Just in that moment the song changed again. In the short silence that followed Liara heard sniggering from outside her room. She was certain that if she turned the door would be ajar, a certain boy enjoying the fruits of his prank. "Harry James Potter!"

She didn't hear the door clicking shut over the new song, nor the boy running away laughing loudly now but she sure could imagine it.

* * *

It was a fuming Liara that joined her mother and Harry at the breakfast table. She had debated if she should just go naked but decided against it. Harry had obviously invested a lot of effort in his little prank and for all her huffing she was silently proud of her charge. So she resigned herself to her fate, donned the brown trousers, the light-grey shirt and the leather boots. The bag, leather jacket and obviously the bullwhip and the wide-brimmed fedora completed the iconic look. She seriously considered giving the whip a crack. Just for fun. And maybe put the fear of the Goddess into the little prankster.

As soon as she entered the room, she was greeted by an excited shout of "Indy!" by a grinning Harry. Predictably she groaned but it what came next shocked all present.

"Is this what a respectable archaeologist wears today, _Junior_?" both Harry's and Liara's heads whipped around so fast it had to be painful to stare at Benezia in shock who calmly appraised her daughter. Liara's mouth worked silently. Seconds later, Harry dissolved into laughter.

"Et tu, Brute?" Liara whispered. Somehow Liara found it apt to replay referencing Earth culture. After all her mother had done it too. Her prim and proper mother! Glancing towards Harry her previously wide open eyes narrowed. "And you, _Shorty_... It would be better if all my clothes are back in their proper place by the time I finish with breakfast."

That stopped Harry's laughter, although not his grin. Since he had already finished, he quickly excused himself, leaving the two Asari alone.

"I am surprised mother. I didn't know you were one for Earth-vids. Or vids in general," Liara calmly stated as soon as Harry had closed the door behind him and she was seated. "Although I have to admit Harrison Ford pulls of this look admirably. The Human species certainly has some attractive specimens."

"Come now, Liara. Just admit you have a little crush on him. No need to express it so... scientific," Benezia smirked. "Personally I like Sean Connery better. Especially as James Bond. Reminds me of a Spectre I used to know...  
"But one thing I find peculiar. Why, if you are angry about that little prank, have you donned the _complete_ costume? Surely the shirt and trousers would have sufficed to respect decorum."

"I couldn't do that to Harry," Liara replayed earnestly as she was adding some fruits to the yellowish cream that served a similar function as yoghurt on Earth. "Finally after what his vile relatives have done to him, he breaks out of his shell and does something childlike. True, I'm a bit miffed but at the same time I'm rather proud of him as well. It must have taken him many hours of planning to realize his little prank. Does that make sense?" Her mother nodded and they fell back into silence.

"Besides, I'm rather fond of the jacket and the bag. I might keep them. But the hat is murder for my crest," she continued getting rid of the offending object. They both laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

* * *

"Are you certain we have the insect repellent?"

"Liara..."

"And the tropical wear? Medes should be rather humid and hot in three months time..."

"Liara!"

"What about..." suddenly Liara stopped her pacing back and forth. Not of her own volition but rather because her mother had finally lost her patience and engulfed her in a stasis field.

"Liara T'Soni! Stop! You are doing it again," Benezia chided her daughter, referring to a similar occurrence just before her daughter's expedition to Earth. "Everything is packed, checked, double-checked and in some cases even triple-checked. And if, against all likelihood, you are indeed missing something vital I will send someone after you. Now. I'm going to lower the stasis field and let you go. You will take a deep breath and calm down. Then you will give me a hug, take Shorty here and get on with it." she finished this by ruffling Harry's hair.

The last year had brought them all closer together. First the training sessions with the Matriarch and later the preparations for the upcoming expedition gave them ample opportunity. Harry had made it his mission to become the best research assistant he possible could be. He didn't just read up on everything the galaxy knew about the Protheans, he also decided he had to learn how to operate most of the equipment they would bring with them. At times he drove Liara to near insanity with his questions. Obviously six months weren't nearly enough time for him to become a proper archaeologist, especially considering he just turned nine but he would prove himself useful. In fact he already had proven himself by helping Liara organize everything. It turned out he was rather crafty at procuring needful equipment and staying in budget.

Initially Liara had assumed it would take three months for preparations, but even the best laid plans seldom survive contact with the enemy – namely university bureaucracy. Thanks to various professors and support staff going on holiday, sabbaticals and what not the project was pushed back for several months. In the end Benezia had intervened and got the show on the road. Obviously she was her smooth diplomatic self, but in the sanctity of her personal study she had a few choice words to say about self-important paper-pushers. Liara had been shocked to see that side of her mother. Still they had had a good laugh after Benezia confided in her daughter that crudeness could be liberating and that was the reason why she sequestrated herself away after half the Matriarchy sessions: to cuss up a storm that would make even a Batarian pirate blush.

In the end Liara herself had pushed back the start for another week. Harry's birthday had snuck up on them and rather than spend it in a partially assembled and near empty base-camp, they stayed a few days longer. The skyball-season opening game – Armali against Serrice of course – had nothing to do with it – honest!

After some heartfelt goodbyes the unlikely duo got into the shuttle. A last wave and they were off to rendezvous with the Alexandria, the ship Benezia had gotten for Liara over seven years ago. A few Relay jumps and a comparatively short FTL flight later they were in the backwater system which only point of interest was the planet Medes, a rather dull piece of semi-inert rock that nevertheless held an extensive Prothean outpost. Why the ancient empire had build an outpost in the middle of nowhere was anyone's guess. The planet itself was strange, Liara had to concede. Despite breathable air, temperate climate and sufficient water there was no life whatsoever to be found, except for some bacteria near the Prothean facility which very well might be immigrants. Given the tenacity and almost ubiquitousness of life wherever it possibly could thrive this was a puzzle. Maybe it had puzzled the Protheans as well, enough to field an outpost.

That was their main objective. Finding out what the Protheans had done here. Depending on their findings the university would later sponsor a bigger and more comprehensive expedition. If it came to that, it was likely Liara would either be in charge or a senior advisor to that venture – a huge step for her career.

The first two weeks were spent on establishing a base camp. Nothing more than a couple of prefab shelters to use as quarters, laboratories and storage areas. Then they settled into a comfortable routine. Before breakfast they would devote time to practice their biotics. Harry still wasn't nearly as strong as Liara even before Benezia had trained them in the Old Way but he steadily progressed. And his control was downright scary. He could make a dozen pebbles zoom around him in dazzling patterns at incredible speeds. Liara once caught him using cooking utensils – by unspoken agreement he had taken over the kitchen as neither of them wanted to eat pre-packed meals for an entire year – with his biotics. Seeing a knife chopping up vegetables while a spoon stirred some sauce all on their own while Harry sat on the table reading a book, barely taking notice of what he did was disconcerting – and made Liara just a wee bit envious.  
After breakfast the morning was dedicated to their studies. Liara would try to make sense of the data they extracted from the few somewhat intact data caches. She would often correspond with the Quarian girl she had met on her journey to Earth, picking her brain for ideas how to tackle the different problems that arise when handling fifty-thousand years old data. The both of them had become good friends, although they had never again met in person, falling back on written correspondence with the occasional call as bandwidth in the flotilla was sparse. In a way Chiktikka was a kindred spirit to her. They were both shy and withdrawn but would talk a mile an hour when engaged on their favourite subject. Both had and imposing parent and obligations to uphold. They just clicked.  
Meanwhile Harry would study like he would back on Thessia, the extranet allowing him access to every information he would need. Liara had put her foot down and made it a requirement that he would not neglect his normal studies if he was to accompany her on her travels. In her opinion he was far to young to specialize totally. She was flattered that he had chosen her own field to aspire to, but she wanted him to have a rounded education.

After lunch Liara would venture into the Prothean complex itself. Sometimes she tried to extract additional data. Other times she would do chemical analyses or scanning for hidden rooms. Harry was at her side for some of her exploring, assisting where he could. He was particularly good in the chemical lab. On some days he would go flying as he had brought last years birthday present with him. Liara joined him sometimes but while she enjoyed flying, Harry positively loved it. He also did quite a bit of exploring on his own, something he tried to hide from Liara. She of course wasn't fooled, but he reminded her so much of herself when she was a kid that she couldn't bring herself to chide him for it.

* * *

Garred Vakarian felt like finally he was getting somewhere. After over two years undercover his 'team' had finally caught the attention of one of the hidden backers. The last year had been rife with intrigue and backstabbing among those backers but his team had come out on top. Now they answered to a single overlord, simply calling himself – or herself – 'The Shadow Broker'. _Why is it that megalomaniacs always have to be pompous arseholes? __Oh right. Comes with the territory._

He hated this assignment and missed his family but couldn't pull out just yet. The scuttlebutt was that they would have a big job pretty soon – and it would be in Council Space! Previously they mostly operated in the Terminus – outside of Council Space and therefore technically out of his jurisdiction. That didn't worry him much as the Terminus Systems were mostly lawless anyway. Still the crime bosses didn't like interference and even Spectres had to tread carefully. It was ironic really. Back home where there were many laws and even more lawmen, they were virtually untouchable, but out here they had to stay low. And it wasn't just because they had to fear immediate repercussions in for of bullets. The reach of the kings and queens over the scum of the galaxy was very long and they didn't have to fear the Spectres. Layer upon layer defended them from interference and untimely demises. Nothing short of a fleet could harm them. Well, and sometimes a lucky assassin.  
Which was why Garred was undercover in the first place. Spectres came in many flavours and not all of them worked at home. Some were quite public, more brawn than brains really, although they were effective in their own way. Others operated from behind the scenes – mostly Salarians – but were still known, analysing the flow of data and crushing entire corporations by clever tricks. And than there were those like him. He could hold his own in a fight – like every Spectre he had extensive training in this regard – but his forte was infiltration and assassination. Nobody knew he was a Spectre, although his status as a special forces agent was at least known to his family and friends. There was no public record of him being what he was, so one could argue that it made him part of a black-ops division, but that didn't really apply. He was a Spectre. They didn't have to follow any rules in the first place, so being black-ops was a moot point.

Spirits he hated this job. He really hoped this big gig would give him plenty of intel to finally pack his stuff, vanish, and sic the attack dogs on somebody. Or maybe he would move up high enough to take out the big boss. _As if that's going to happen..._  
Most of the more successful crime syndicates were reliant on the alpha dog. Cut the head off – a bullet from a long-range sniper rifle would work just as well he mused – and the group would sink back into obscurity. His job wasn't to eliminate crime; that was impossible out here. It was to keep it manageable.  
To him it stank to high heaven. He knew he was too idealistic for his own good. His moral compass told him to just shoot every bad guy and call it a day. And if that offended the queasy feelings of the Asari – he honestly didn't give a damn. Bloody hypocrites.  
But that wouldn't solve anything, he knew. The people who were on his crew were morons and most deserved to suffer a long, agonizing death, but they were insignificant cogs in a greater crime machine, easily exchanged by others of the same stock.  
Still, sometimes his trigger-finger itched.

"Oy! Vakarian! Stop fondling yourself and get your arse into gear!"

"Bugger off Shade,"_ Shade? Really? What kind of lame-arse nickname is that?_ He thought not for the first time. "I'll be there when it's time, so don't you worry your dick off. Gorak would miss it, although how he even feels your thin noodle is beyond me."

He really hoped he would get rid of the foul language before he returned home. He didn't want to set a bad example for Primus.

* * *

Harry was anxious and he couldn't quite grasp the reason. Last week, their twelfth on Medes, they had opened the big hangar doors that were the centrepiece of the whole facility. At first he had been disappointed. There was little change from the outer parts other than a short, rocky tunnel, but soon a strange feeling came over him. He felt jittery. Like he was electrically charged and would zap anything he touched with those annoying but funny little discharges. But as much as he grounded himself, the feeling wouldn't go away. He was uncomfortable in a detached way and the worst part was that it affected him even outside. Harry hadn't noticed it when they had landed, since it was much less noticeable but now that he knew it was there he was almost constantly aware of it. It was like a faint buzz one couldn't quite not-hear. The whole area had acquired a strange feel.

Of course Liara had noticed the state he was in. After coaxing the problem out of Harry she spend an hour on introspection. Afterwards she claimed she could feel what he meant but it was very faint and she had to actively concentrate on it. They conducted any test imaginable but always came up empty, so they gave up. Liara wasn't sure how to report it either. 'Strange tingly feeling but absolutely no empirical data' just sounded ridiculous.  
In the end they decided to try and ignore it. Just Harry couldn't. It was always there, barely noticeable and annoying as hell. Liara was naturally concerned and had half a mind packing things up, but Harry was adamant to stay. He wouldn't rob Liara of this chance after all she had done for him, just because he was slightly uncomfortable.  
So they stayed. However, mindful of Harry's higher sensitivity, they spent the night on board of the Alexandria. She had offered that he could stay on the ship as much as he wanted but he refused. He wanted to help her, so that was what he was going to do. Besides, tingly feeling or not, the inner chamber called to him. In retrospect he should have known better.

Harry was wandering the hallways, aimlessly. He had started doing that a couple of days ago. More than once he found himself in a new section of the facility without knowing how, or rather, why he got there. He didn't have blackouts. He just kept wandering without really noticing his surroundings. He just went wherever his feet guided him.  
The facility was big, but not big enough to really get lost. It might take him a couple of minutes to get back to a section he was once again familiar with but there was no real risk. The machines had no power beyond what the two explorers provided and the structure was in reasonable good condition. It had held for over fifty-thousand years, it wouldn't collapse just because a small boy wandered through the halls.

As he once again took in his surroundings he was surprised to find himself in the short, rocky tunnel that seemed to be the main attraction for whatever reason. He hadn't been inside it, but had performed some analyses for Liara. The tunnel was utterly uninteresting. The rock was just rock, no traces of any interesting chemicals on it. Just a hundred yard long hole in the ground, slanted downwards at a gentle angle and terminated by solid rock.

Only... he wasn't in the tunnel any more but rather a large cavern he simply knew was at the end of said tunnel, behind the supposedly solid end. Even though he hadn't noticed it at the time he distinctively remembered just walking through the rock at the end of the tunnel, ending up here.

Oh and then there was the reason why he was suddenly once again aware of his surroundings.

He had tried to describe the strange feeling he would get when he was inside the inner sections and the closest he came was by comparing it to the feeling of the balloon he had rubbed against his sweater once and held it close to his skin. However in the cavern itself the feeling was amplified a thousandfold. He was reminded of the time he had found himself hiding from his cousin and his gang in a power substation. The air positively hummed with energy!

There was an undeniable presence in this cavern, it was almost oppressive. Suddenly Harry knew how a small insect might feel when he was observing it. There was no malice, but he just knew he would be swatted aside in a heartbeat if he proved himself a nuisance. Strangely, it never occurred to him to turn back and leave. He wanted to explore this strange room that Liara had somehow missed.

It was roughly circular, maybe twenty yards across and ten high, slightly slanting down towards the middle. Right there on a small pedestal was a metallic-silver glinting globe. From what light-source he couldn't tell. Despite being obviously on display Harry first noticed the mural directly across from the entrance. It was a fiery-red dragon.

Or rather, one third of the mural showed a dragon. From where he stood, Harry could make out three giant shapes. One, the rightmost one, was the aforementioned dragon, which, frankly, was disturbing. Weren't they mythical beasts from _Earth_? Why was there an image of one in a hidden cave on a deserted planet halfway across the galaxy? It was coloured in red and black and despite appearing majestic, Harry couldn't help himself being a bit afraid of it. Even if it was only a picture.  
The leftmost figure was a beautiful bird with long tail feathers. It's colours were red and gold and while it was equally as majestic as the dragon it wasn't intimidating – quite the contrary in fact. Concentrating on the bird was strangely soothing.  
However that feeling didn't last. Domineering the mural and its other two occupants was a strange thing in mostly black with a few angry streaks of red. Somehow its shape reminded Harry of a gigantic squid although its tentacles were shorter in proportion to the body. And Harry just knew the immense presence in the cavern was related to this figure. It was majestic and utterly terrifying. Not truly evil just absolutely uncaring. It made him feel infinitesimally small and insignificant. If a mere image of the creature could leave that impression, Harry wasn't sure if he ever wanted to meet the original.

While his eyes were being held captive by the mural, Harry had inched forward until he stood by the globe in the middle of the room. He now could see more details. Under the squid-thing, framed by the dragon and the bird he could discern a silver circle and he realized that it was probably the ball in front of him. There were also some crudely drawn stick figures obviously praying to the trio or the orb. Or maybe both.

Wrestling his gaze from the mural he inspected the globe now in front of him. It was perfectly smooth and on closer inspection hovered just a few inches above the pedestal. Not able to stop himself, he reached out with his right hand, wanting to feel the smoothness.

As soon as he made contact, the sphere expanded to twice its size, prompting Harry to stumble backwards. However he didn't break contact; couldn't even if he wanted to. Strange symbols began to appear on the metallic surface, glowing in what Harry now knew as biotic-blue. A moment later a not quite solid spike apparently of the same material as the sphere shot out of it and connected to the circle of the same material in the mural. More symbols started glowing all throughout the cavern and the red and golden highlights of the three figures started glowing as well. Mesmerized, Harry could have sworn the dragon, the bird and the _other_ were moving.

Suddenly, the presence that had been ignoring him ever since he had entered the chamber snapped its full focus on him. He felt trapped by it, examined down to the tiniest atom of his body. He felt violated especially since he got the impression he was found lacking. Then the first presence retreated, tossing him aside like a wet tissue and a different presence replaced the first one. While this new intruder didn't make him feel as worthless as the first, he still felt small and insignificant. However, as the second presence made way to the third, he got the distinctive impression of gruff approval, however reluctant as it may have been given. The third was different from the others. It wasn't aggressive yet uncaring, as the first two but surprisingly gentle. It didn't flaunt its superiority as did the others. Harry immediately knew it was the bird. Instead of feeling invaded, he felt at peace. He almost didn't notice the presence scrutinizing him just as thoroughly as the others, but where the others preyed on his shortcomings and insecurities, this one took him in as a whole. And it approved wholeheartedly.

Just as soon as the third and last presence faded, the symbols did as well. The very moment the metallic spike retreated from the wall, Harry's eyes turned upward and he slumped to the ground unconscious.

Halfway across the galaxy, a certain instrument acted up again, sending two men into fits of worry, while a strange bird in the same office sang a song unlike any other he had before. It promised strife and hardship but also victory and deliverance. Nobody had ever heard a phoenix' warsong but that was what it was.

* * *

Oblivious of what happened to her young friend – Brother? Son? - Liara was trying to crack the mainframe with the help of Chiktikka's newest spike. Prothean computer systems at their lowest level were frustrating. The higher tiers were similar enough to what was used throughout the galaxy – no big surprise as the current technology was reverse engineered from Prothean relics – but the similarities didn't reach deep. It didn't help that Liara could count on one hand how many sufficiently intact mainframes were uncovered. This alone would make this site priceless. And if she were to actually crack a centuries old problem...

Given the circumstances, it wasn't a surprise that she was distracted and never noticed Harry walking by silently and descending through the hole, or the hum of the approaching shuttle almost an hour later. Nor did she notice the sudden darkening as the shuttle hovered over the broken skylight throwing a shadow over her. She did not hear the hissing sounds as ten figures, clad in mercenary armour, descended on ropes, one onto the roof, the others into the complex.

She did hear the rough stomping of armoured boots on concrete as they surrounded her in a half-circle, weapons pointed at her. But by then it was already too late.

As the heiress of a very wealthy Matriarch, Liara had received training for situations like these. She was a very lucrative kidnapping target after all. However, since she didn't notice any Asari among the crew, she doubted they specifically targeted her. It was publicly known that she was a powerful Biotic – ten average mercenaries, even without armour and weapons, would not have been a walk in the park, but she would still stand a chance. They would need another Biotic or more men, and since non-Asari Biotics were very rare she doubted any of them was one.  
Only, they had managed to take her by surprise and corner her. There was no cover she could hide behind and nine assault rifles would rip through her biotic shield before she could escape – or kill more than three of them.

Her next thought was to assess the enemy: group composition and equipment, among others. They were an assorted bunch, favouring Batarians – Terminus most likely then – and their weapons were average but in good condition – not professional slavers as they usually carried the modern equivalent of sticks, but that didn't necessarily save her from that fate. Terminus pirates were famous for grabbing opportunities whenever they presented themselves.

Just as she was raising her hands in a non-threatening way and try to reason with them, one stepped up to her and backhanded her, sending her spinning and clashing to the ground. Fear gripped Liara for a moment but she clamped down on it mercilessly. As she looked back up, blood in the left corner of her mouth, her eyes blazed with determination and anger. Then she thought of Harry and for a moment another spike of fear hit her. The Batarian who had backhanded her, obviously noticed.

"That's right bitch! Your ass belongs to us now. Better get used to it," he laughed as if he had just told her the funniest joke. His friends joined in.

Just in that moment Harry staggered out of the tunnel and into the scene. He had a dazed look on his face, obviously not registering what was happening around him. As the tunnel's exit was behind the mercenaries, they didn't see him at first, but he was right in Liara's field of view. Her eyes went wide for a moment in panic and she tried to subtly motion for Harry to hide. He only stared at her dumbly.

Unfortunately, one of the mercenaries noticed her look and followed it, noticing the decisively Human Harry instantly.

"What the hell is that!?" the shout made half the crew whirl around and aim their weapons at Harry, who blinked a couple of times, as if trying to wake up.

"No! Harry, run!" Liara, still slightly groggy from the hit she had taken, jumped to her feet, rising a barrier to shield herself and biotically pushing Harry away from the group. The Batarian, still standing beside her, hit her again, this time with the full force of his body and the servos of his armour behind it. The barrier, only half-formed, was able to shield her from serious harm, but it wasn't enough to fully deflect the momentum and she crashed to the ground once again.

"NO! Liara!" Harry's shrill scream coincided with a wave of physical force that hit her at least as strong as the Batarian's fist. It sent the whole crew to the ground, several of the lighter ones – Salarians mostly, from the look of it – were actually sent flying a couple of feet. "Leave her alone!"

Just as the first of them tried to regain his feet, the oddest thing happened. There were a couple of soft pops, and the prone Batarians, Salarians and Turians morphed into – pigs. Grunting, snivelling, pink pigs.

Liara... blinked; her mind not really processing what just happened. The pigs however were much faster on the uptake. They ran, leaving discarded weapons behind. Harry had a look of fear on him as he stared after the retreating animals, then he looked at Liara, searching for reassurance but finding only confusion and traces of her earlier anger. He bolted, his mind suddenly back with his relatives.

"Harry, wait!" Liara called after him, finally snapping out of her stupor, but he continued to run. She cursed viciously under her breath. Having her wits about her once again, she typed a few commands into her omni-tool. She didn't trust... whatever happened to the mercenaries to be permanent, so she sealed the section in which the pigs had fled off from the rest. Even if they reverted back to their normal form it would take them a couple of hours to break through the doors without proper equipment. Then she extended her biotics to crush the weapons they had left into so much scrap metal, leaving only one heavy pistol for herself, just in case. All in all it took her thirty seconds to race after Harry.

She didn't notice the lone Turian at the edge where once the skylight was three stories up, watching her through the scope of his sniper rifle, trying and failing – like her – to figure out what the hell just happened.

* * *

Garred Vakarian was still in a stupor, apparently a condition quite common around these parts. _By the spirits! What just happened?_

The raid had started as had many before. The Shadow Broker had intel on a large Prothean base, recently uncovered and kept secret until a proper team could be sent. He and his team had been tasked to go and extract any valuable data or technology they could find. A relatively quick smash and grab job if it weren't for the bigger than usual scale.

They had arrived without problems, noticing the empty ship in orbit but leaving it for later. Scans showed only minimal life-signs on the planet, probably a team of researchers of less than five doing preliminary work. Not unusual, but it complicated things – and made the whole deal a lot more morally repugnant for Garred. Hopefully the scientists wouldn't put up much resistance and were captured as playthings for the crew. A couple of weeks later he would track down their kin and get them to pay ransom, paying it himself if absolutely necessary. But that was the best case scenario. Worst case scenarios involved rotting bodies left behind unattended or implanted slave chips. It had happened before.

Not wanting to be directly involved in those atrocities but needing to play the part, he took up position atop the roof. As his 'mates' surrounded the lonely Asari scientist bile rose in his throat. Observing her through his scope and taking a few close-up pictures for later identification, he had to admire her spirit. She controlled her fear pretty well, but he hoped she wouldn't do something brave and immensely stupid. There was a sudden commotion and half his crew focused on a different person. Garred sighed. Gorak was many things, but a good leader he was not. However, he sure liked his theatrics. Why he didn't have anyone watching their back, Garred couldn't fathom.

The newcomer however was no scientist. Or maybe he was, but that wasn't the point. While the person looked vaguely like an Asari, he or she certainly wasn't. The hair gave it away quickly.

Garred knew intimately every species that made up the galactic community. He had to in order to know how to best interact – which encompassed anything from speaking to killing – with them. He even knew more than the average citizen about the species which weren't yet part of that community. This was a totally new one.

Then _it_ happened. There was screaming, a powerful biotic blast that put his squad on their backs and just as they scrambled back to their feet, they were gone and replaced by some kind of quadrupedal animal.

Minutes after everyone had fled the scene, Garred came to the conclusion that they might had the right of it. The mission was a bust and since he didn't record the whole thing he couldn't go back to his fake boss with this story. More importantly he didn't want to. Whatever happened, it had to be kept far away from the likes of the Shadow Broker.  
Same thing applied to his real bosses. They would not believe him without proof. For now he had to trust that the information he had gathered previously would suffice to shut the Shadow Broker down. Probably it wouldn't. Meanwhile he would make some private inquiries. He would get to the bottom of this.

He hailed the shuttle which had been set on autopilot and got the hell out of the system, formulating one theory after the other – each one even more ludicrous than the ones before.

* * *

Tracking down Harry was relatively easy as he still had his omni-tool and like every other kid's it could be tracked by their guardians. Nevertheless, Liara gave him a few minutes time, not enough to calm down – that would take hours – but long enough that the fast acting hormones like Adrenaline would stop flowing.

Her strategy seemed to pay off since he didn't bolt again when she entered the room where he had crawled into the far corner and curled into a ball. Liara loved ruins, they always seemed so calm, elegant even sometimes, but with the terrified child in them the beauty was transformed into desolation, welcome melancholy morphed into bone-weary sadness and what once seemed majestic was now defiled. Liara knew then that she would never feel the same about her chosen profession and while this saddened her, she didn't for a moment regret her choice to help the little boy that needed her now, more than ever.

Because she had been where Harry was now, Liara did not give in to the urge to hug and press him close. He had closed himself off and that kind of intrusion would not yet be welcome. Instead she knelt beside him and started stroking his hair, telling him that she was there for him, just outside his bubble. For the briefest moment she felt him recoil from her touch but the moment passed and he continued to cry in silence, accepting her at the fringe of his misery.

An hour later, Harry sniffed and ran the back of his hand across his snotty nose. Liara continued her ministration in silence.

"Am I a monster? A freak, like Uncle Vernon said?" he asked in a tiny voice.

"No," Liara said with uttermost conviction.

"But I did something to those people! Something unnatural, freakish. I felt it!" Harry almost pleaded.

"Yes, you did. And I am grateful," she responded, still calm.

"But how can you? What if they don't change back? What if it happens to you? You are going to leave me now, aren't you?" Harry asked, terrified. "You should."

"No Harry. I am not afraid of you and will not leave you," Liara said firmly, reaching out with her empty hand to squeeze his upper arm for a moment in reassurance. "Do you know why not Harry? Because I love you. You are part of my family now, like a little brother. And I'm not going to lose you. I am tired of being alone."

She could feel the tension in Harry slowly ebb away. He reached out for her and Liara draw him into a hug, kissing him softly on his head. He hugged her back fiercely, shaking from new sobs as she rocked him gently. In her mind she cursed Harry's relatives with new-found vigour, as over two years of drawing him out of his shell had nearly come undone.

After her anger had subsided again but still comforting Harry, Liara tried to make sense of what exactly happened. Her prestigious brain came up blank. It was simply impossible for nine would-be rapists and slavers to suddenly turn into pigs, karmic justice notwithstanding. Yet Liara knew she had spoken the truth before. She was not afraid of Harry or his new powers, if they were indeed his and not some strange phenomenon tied to the location.

"Harry?" Liara asked tentatively. As she felt him nod minutely against her chest, she continued. "Has anything like this happened before? Or anything else your _Uncle_," she spat that word in disgust. "considered unnatural?"

She felt him become tense in her embrace and started rocking him again, whispering soothing nothings to calm him again. He didn't answer her.

"Harry? I only ask because I want and you _need_ to understand. I don't fear you, but you fear yourself. Understanding is the best way to conquer your fears. You are not a freak. You are not unnatural. But you are special," she told him. "Let me tell you a story. A long time ago, when the Turians were just beginning to explore the stars and had not yet made contact with the Asari and the Salarians, some of them developed certain unexplainable powers. Those powers behaved very erratic and could be dangerous. Initially they were shunned because they were different. People don't like what they don't understand. They are stupid like that.  
"However, some tried to understand. And in time, they did. Today, those very people that had been shunned are highly sought after because of their biotic abilities. Some even revere them, although that is almost as stupid as fearing them. They are different but they are not better, nor are they worse.  
"You already were special, even before we discovered this new power of yours. How many Human Biotics do you know? None. Do you remember why? Because you have to be exposed to Element Zero to become a Biotic. There is no Element Zero on Earth, yet it is in you.  
"But this does not change who you are, only what you can do."

She fell silent once more and Harry began to relax again.

"I turned Mrs. Thomas wig blue once," Harry suddenly said. "She annoyed me because she tried to flatten my hair for the year-picture and it wouldn't stay down."

"Blue?"

Harry shrugged. "I like blue," he offered as an explanation. Liara chuckled.

"My hair doesn't need to be cut," he continued. "Others have to cut it off regularly or it just grows longer and longer," he explained, as if he had seen her uncomprehending frown. "It just stays the way it is, always messy. And when Aunt Petunia tried to cut it once, it grew back overnight. It should have taken months! But I didn't complain. I was almost bald after Aunt Petunia had cut it off!  
"And you know about the school kitchen."

"Ah yes, but that were your biotics," she decided.

"Are you certain? I don't know..." Harry trailed off undecided. "Once I tried to jump over a river. Dudley was chasing me and would have caught me. The jump was too far, but I seemed to float over the stream anyway. At the time I was just glad to be away, but later when I went back there... We measured how far we can jump in school. I could jump two yards but the stream was almost four wide."

"Again, that could be explained by biotics. You know Skyball players do something similar," Liara threw in. "Anything else?"

"Stuffy," was all Harry said.

"Who or what is Stuffy?" Liara asked softly, after he didn't elaborate.

"It's stupid... I was four, I think. Maybe I was five, I don't remember. Stuffy, he... he was my friend.  
"He belonged to Dudley but he didn't want him. Said he was to old for a teddy bear. I fished him out of the bin and hid him away," Harry told her in an odd monotone. Liara felt her eyes moisten, fearing where this story would go. "Dudley found him a few weeks later in my cupboard and ripped him to pieces. He just laughed and pushed me away when I tried to stop him.  
"I gathered every piece I could find but I didn't have any needle and thread, so I just put it all on the trunk I had my clothes in and went to sleep. The next day, he was in one piece again as if nothing had ever happened."

Liara could sense there was more and after she had asked him, he told her in a cracking voice how Dudley found the teddy again and told his parents. Vernon took the toy with him to work and tossed it into a garbage bin several miles from Privet Drive.  
After he got the story out of his system, Harry wept anew while Liara tried to comfort him and shedding some silent tears herself.

"What's going to happen to _them_?" Harry finally asked after some time. For a moment Liara thought he meant his relatives. She was half of a mind to take the ship back to Earth to dish out some delayed justice. But then she remembered her earlier assailants. She knew what she had to do. There wasn't much of a choice really. They were the worst kind of scum and from what she saw the law would probably agree with her anyway. But more importantly they had seen Harry. In order to protect him, they had to die. But how to tell a nine-year old boy he was the reason people had to be killed?

"Harry..." she began, not really knowing what to say.

"You are going to kill them, aren't you? Because of me," he whispered in a tiny voice. _Sometimes,_ Liara thought, _Harry is too smart for his own good._

"Yes and no, Harry," she finally admitted. Having been on the receiving end on withheld information she abhorred the practice even though she knew it was sometimes necessary. "It is complicated. Harry, those are bad men. There is no doubt in my mind that they have killed, plundered and sold other people as slaves, which can be a fate more terrible than death. Had they not surprised me, I would have fought them tooth and nail before I would have let them take me. Most of them would have died, probably, and nobody would have shed a tear.  
"Killing them now that we have captured them is not legal, however you are right. There is you to consider and that's my first priority here.  
"Harry, the galaxy can be a very dark place. It isn't always flying and playing and skyball. There are people out there who would take you in a heartbeat and dissect you, if they thought they could make some credits. Mother and I will do our best to protect you, but you are best protected if nobody knows of you. So yes, I am going to kill them.  
"But Harry, this isn't your fault! They decided to do evil. It was their choice, and they deserve whatever is coming for them."

"But I don't want you to become a murderess..."

"It's too late for that Harry," Liara said softly. Harry tensed again in her arms and she tightened her grip. "Twenty years ago I was part of a small research team here in the Attican Traverse. We were five scientists, most barely out of university, out in the middle of nowhere. You could say the other four were the closest things I had to friends but they were more like acquaintances. I was off to a remote digsite on my own and when I came back, our camp was in shambles. There was a shuttle landed nearby and I could see several figures looting. Then I noticed Nova laying not fifty paces from where I hid. She was only fifty! They had shot her in the back when she was running from them.  
"I was in shock. When they dragged Lyra out of one of the shelters and did _things_ to her... I lost it Harry. I killed them all, even when they tried to surrender, I just killed them with my bare hands.  
"After they were all dead I went to check on Lyra and whoever else might have survived. She was the only one but when she was just sitting there, staring but not seeing... It took her a whole year to recover to the point she would not flinch whenever someone entered her room, five years until she could speak again.  
"The worst part is she is still afraid of me. And I wonder – is it because I remind her of what happened, or is it because she saw of what I am capable?"

"I'm not afraid of you," Harry answered after Liara had fallen silent.

"Thank you Harry. That means much to me," Liara answered, squeezing him. "But you see, it isn't what we can do that defines us, making others fear us, but our actions. Those men who attacked our camp back then were nothing special. They were just bullies who decided they could walk over those with less power.

"If it makes you feel better, I could call Shiala to do it but I would rather not. I have to tell mother anyway," she offered. "Oh don't worry Harry. Mother will not fear or hate you because of what happened here. She loves you nearly as much as I do.  
"Now, how about you tell me where you have been before this... unpleasantness and why you had that dazed look on you."

She felt him tighten his hold on her again, as if suddenly afraid.

"Harry?"

* * *

**AN:** I've read something similar to the teddy story before but I can't remember where. It was a seventh year-story where Hermione 'extracts' Harry from Durskaban and he doesn't want to leave the teddy behind.

So, this chapter should stir things up a bit. The scene in the cave was a spur of the moment thing, more or less. As always I have a vague idea where I'm going with the things I write but...

Surprised about Liara's confession? The way I figure it, there had to be a pivotal event like this in her past because ME1-Liara is behaving strange for the innocent scientist she supposedly is. Think about it. She goes from studying ruins all on her lonesome to shooting and flaying baddies with her mind by the dozen in hours. Then she more or less helps killing her own mother and/or staying with her killers (depending on how you play the game). Yes it's the right thing to do but any person without the right training and mindset would have broken down after their first mission. Sure, she more or less does that after ME1 but still. Same goes for Tali by the way - the rest is at least trained in this regard.  
So this Liara is shy and 'innocent' when among friends. But don't hurt her friends and family. Just don't. Bad things happen to people who do that. Have I said that I really like Badass!Liara?

As I've said I was thinking of compiling a Hogwarts syllabus. I've made a list what _should_ be thought each year and I would like to run the list by you in the codex. Each chapter I will present one or two subjects and list what is thought each year. Please tell me what you think.

**Codex:**

_Syllabus – Astronomy:_  
General thoughts: In Philosopher's Stone they learn the names and positions of the stars and planets and such. By fifth year they still are drawing star charts and hearing about the moons of Jupiter. That sounds pretty dull to me. What surprised me a bit was that they knew about the volcanoes on one of them.  
First year: They are taught about the sun, moon and some of the more important stars and constellations along with handling the equipment.  
Second year: The focus is on planets and their differences.  
Third year: Stars and constellations are handled in detail as well as star maps – how to read and draw them.  
Fourth year: The impact of the heavenly bodies on magic. (Hogwarts is a school of magic after all!)  
Fifth year: Predicting special configurations through extrapolating from data.  
Sixth year: Ritual magic powered by the stars and other stuff that's floating around up there.  
Seventh year: Designing your own ritual. (Very basic!)

_Syllabus – Care of magical creatures: _That's actually an easy one since the ministry has this neat classification ranging from X to XXXXX. Perfect for five years of schooling! Just to remind you: X are boring creatures like flobberworms and XXXXX are things like dragons, basilisks and dementors. In addition wizard familiars are covered in 3rd year.

_Planet – Medes:_ Discovered by an Asari-sponsored exploration ship. After accumulating virtual dust in some folder due to excessive backlog Liara T'Soni was tasked with a first assessment of the site.  
The planet itself would be a garden world, were it not for the lack of organic life. Every other requirement is fulfilled – temperature, humidity, atmosphere and no dangerous radiation, cosmic or otherwise. Why no life has developed under these prime conditions is a mystery, just like the presence of oxygen without accompanying plant-life is. Geologically the planet is as stable as can be expected with a rotating metallic core. Medes has no moons.  
The Prothean outpost is typical for its kind. It's spacious and remarkably intact thanks to its geologically stable position and missing plant-life. Thanks to these circumstances data extraction delivers better than average yield, making the outpost a prime candidate for further study.  
The cavern below the outpost seems to be the focus of study. It is not clear if the Protheans were able to breach whatever shields cut off the cavern from the rest of the world. It is also unknown how much their sensors were able to pick up from inside. Current technology only reveals the cave itself and its rough outline but the interior is contorted. Data would suggest it is bigger on the inside than on the outside. It is unknown how the shield works and why it appears as if it was rock to the point small, inconspicuous samples can be taken off it without weakening the shield.


	6. A Letter

**AN:** Thanks again to my reviewers and all those that PM'd me. Special thanks to my beta! Sorry for taking so long to update. Had to work a couple of things out. Have a big update as compensation!  
I've taken some inspiration from avidbeader's fantastic story 'The Perils of Innocence'. See if you can find it!

I've decided to try and include dates and locations so that it becomes easier to follow when and where things happen. Because of this, I've made a small change in the last chapter to get the timeline right. It's purely cosmetic but I wanted it to be Halloween, because we all know bad/strange things happen to Harry on Halloween. Dates will refer to Earth (GMT to be precise). Time will be local time but with one proviso: Independent of the planet/station a full cycle (day) has always 24 hours with 12:00 the middle of the 'day' part of the cycle. Also I will use the 24-hour clock, so 18:00 is 6:00pm. Sometimes I will include GMT-time when connected things happen in locations with different time-zones.  
Tell me what you think about the new feature. But now on with the show!

**AN2:** I've changed the last paragraph so that Harry doesn't come across as a wuss. Wasn't my intention.

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Letter**

_Tuesday, 31 October 1989  
18:55  
Planet Medes – Prothean Facility, Inner Section_

Harry was trying to be as stealthy as possible, which was rather stealthy if he did say so himself. After all, he had lots of experience from his time with the Dursleys. This time however, he was sneaking after and not away from someone. His prey: Liara.

After they both had calmed down and Harry had told her about the cavern. Liara had been astonished but after all that had happened today it hadn't fazed her as much as it would have on any other day. For now, all she did was sending a cryptic report to her mother and went off to kill her almost-slavers and rapists turned pigs. It was something she had to do, as it was all but impossible to keep them detained for long. Obviously she had told Harry to stay behind – it was bad enough he knew about what was going to happen; no need to expose him to the ugliness of the deed itself. He disagreed.

He could accept that it wasn't his fault that they had to die. He could even accept that they probably deserved it. But he still felt somewhat responsible – so he was going to watch and bear witness. He felt it was his duty.

He watched as Liara was sending some drones into the sealed section where hopefully the intruders were still in their new shape. She had donned an environment suit that doubled as light armour and had a heavy pistol holstered at her side – just in case. The drones were equipped with cameras and a mean zapper. Not lethal or even debilitating, but strong enough to convince beasts to keep away from them. Hopefully she would be able to drive them into separate rooms. Liara didn't fancy going against all of them at the same time, even in their current state. Currently they were confused and not really able to fight back. They were also backed into a corner, making them desperate. There was no telling what they would do if and when they reverted back to their normal form. Desperation spelled disaster.  
Also, she wanted to keep one of them alive. Maybe he would revert to his old self and could be interrogated. For that he had to be separated from the rest. Medes was supposed to be a secret. She very much wanted to know how some lowlife pirates from the Terminus knew about it.

Almost two hours had gone by since Harry had done whatever it was to the intruders. They were still pigs when the drones chanced upon them. From his hiding spot Harry could hear Liara's sigh of relief. It would be much easier to drive and cull them this way. Five minutes after the drones had found them they had separated them into ones and twos behind newly locked doors. Not wanting to put it off any longer, Liara strode purposeful into the improvised prison area, never noticing the young boy that followed her.

The first room was not very big. Liara blocked most of the view but the animal inside was still very visible to Harry who peeked around a corner. The Asari had already drawn her gun. A swift upward motion with her left hand sent the pig floating. Seconds later the pistol in her right hand quivered twice. Since it used a mass accelerator instead of a chemical propellant it didn't bark like the guns in the Earth-vids they both liked to watch, instead the air displaced by the supersonic bullet the size of a grain made a sound similar to the toy pistol Dudley had gotten for his sixth birthday just a bit louder. More of a snap than a crack or boom. However, this was no toy. The first bullet had destroyed the chest area, while the second didn't leave much from the pig's head. _M__essy _didn't begin to describe it.

Liara seemed just as surprised as Harry, staring dumbfounded at the pistol in her hand. _Much_ later, Harry would find out that the previous owner had installed a particularly vicious and in Council space illegal shredder mod, specifically designed to do as much damage to unprotected flesh as possible. While Liara fiddled with her pistol, probably trying to disable the mod, Harry retreated a bit. He still wanted to watch the rest but for the first time he asked himself if following Liara had been a good idea after all. He felt queasy and didn't fancy puking right there. How would he explain _that_ to Liara?

Thankfully the rest was less gruesome until they came to the last victim for today. Just as Liara made to levitate him he morphed, breaking her concentration. For the first second it seemed as if the pig made to stand up on his hind legs but as it continued the motion, its features became increasingly more like the Batarian he once had been and now was again. It was the same that had assaulted Liara only hours before. The whole thing didn't take longer than five seconds. The Batarian, still in his armour but without weapons, and Liara stared at each other, clearly confused. It was probably his training and conditioning that let the mercenary shake off the confusion faster, for all the good it did him. As soon as he charged Liara, she used her biotics to throw him back against the wall. Arm extended in his direction, she kept the pressure on him so he couldn't move much, but still squirming to get loose. His faceplate was open and he stared at her with a venomous expression, flashing his teeth like an animal and screaming abuse. Because of all the trashing, Liara's first shot missed by the span of a hand. The second and third were dead on centre. Harry scampered, not wanting to be found out now that it was over.

Five minutes later Liara returned to the camp, her cheeks wet from silent tears but with a hard look on her face. Without a word Harry went to hug her, trying to tell her everything was right with the galaxy when clearly it wasn't.

* * *

_Wednesday, 1 November 1989 – 1 day later  
13:45  
Planet Medes – Hidden Cave underneath Prothean facility_

Liara had just returned from the improvised holding cell they kept the single survivor in, bringing him water and some nutrient paste. She had tried to interrogate him but didn't get much out of him, except threats and leering gazes. Just her luck that it had to be another Batarian. A Salarian or even a Turian would have been much preferable – they would understand their predicament and save everyone involved a lot of trouble. Most likely he still thought he was protected by the laws of the Council. However, those laws had been thrown out the window the moment Harry appeared in the picture. A smarter individual might have realized that fact the moment all others except him had been executed. Not just killed, but driven into a corner and disposed of, almost like the livestock they had resembled at the time. No, he was kept alive purely to milk him for any information and then he would join his comrades. A Turian would have bowed to the inevitable, a Salarian would have chosen the road that brought him the least pain, but the pigheadedness that was a common trait among the Batarians made her prisoner cling to the delusional hope he was someone important because of his father who was a mid-level bureaucrat on Khar'Shan. _Fool__s__. __All of them.  
_Ever since that traumatic experience when her team had been ambushed by slavers, Liara loathed the entire Batarian race. She had made an effort and tried to understand them but she couldn't. Their whole culture was based on oppression and outright slavery. How the Council could even deal with them she could not understand. It had been the final straw for her to forever forsake politics.

Benezia would arrive in a day on a cruiser belonging to a security firm the T'Sonis practically owned. The firm specialized in escorting trade convoys into the Terminus. It was a lucrative business.  
A full unit of Asari Commandos accompanied the Matriarch but most would not join her on the planet. Only a handful, including Shiala, that were aware of Harry would be allowed in his proximity.  
The Matriarch had already sealed anything about Medes on the authority of the Matriarchy. She used the valid concern that obviously someone was selling sensitive information on the black market or else that gang of pirates would never have found the planet nor the Prothean facility. But that was a secondary concern to both T'Sonis. The cave was much more important, as was protecting Harry.

Liara pushed all thoughts of tomorrow to the side. Tomorrow would take care of itself. Today she wanted to satisfy her scientific curiosity, taking a break from the gruesome reality she and her charge had been thrust into so suddenly.  
She was standing in the tunnel in front of the fake wall together with Harry who was fidgeting, clearly feeling the strange anxiousness that had bothered him all week. Truth be told, Liara could feel it herself without even concentrating, something she hadn't been able to before. However it was faint and she could ignore it easily.

Or maybe it was just the frustration she felt because the wall before her was just that – a wall. She would have believed Harry tried to trick her but his whole demeanour screamed sincerity. He wouldn't pull a prank like this after what happened yesterday. Still, Liara was at a loss. She had run a wide variety of tests from the most basic tactile – with her own hands – to elaborate scans using everything from radar to x-ray. She even tried a welding torch with no results besides some superficial scorch marks.

"Harry, not that I think you are lying, but are you certain this is the place? Because everything I try says that is a wall in front of me," she finally declared.

Harry just gave a shrug. Then went past her, right through the wall. Liara gaped in shock. Five seconds later, his head popped out of the wall.

"Pretty sure," he replied cockily, giving her a lopsided smirk.

As he walked back into the tunnel she was standing in, Liara noticed something that had eluded her the first time. When Harry stepped through the wall, he was outlined in a very faint halo in a very distinct colour – biotic-blue. She touched the stone where Harry had passed through once again – it was rock-solid.

"Do you want me to guide you through? Maybe if I hold your hand you can enter with me," Harry offered.

Nodding her assent, Harry took her hand and pulled her through. It was a strange feeling but not entirely unknown to her. It was the same tingling feeling on her skin she got when she pushed her biotics to the limit.

Like Harry, her gaze was immediately captured by the huge mural across the cavern. Having studied Heraldry and myths during her time on Earth, Liara recognized the dragon easily. To her shame, she had not believed Harry entirely about that particular detail of his tale, rationalizing that he had seen something similar but not identical. She had seen it before. Parallel evolution was not a new concept but this was different. The resemblance between this mural and some of the more detailed pictures she had seen on Earth was beyond uncanny. It was frightening. And it made no sense.

Scrutinizing the other parts of the mural she could easily see what Harry meant when he told her about the different feelings he associated with the different occupants – she felt it herself.  
Idly wondering why a mere picture could affect her so much, she realized with a start that she could feel some presence, just like Harry had claimed. It was muted, like the feeling when she entered a room where someone was sleeping compared to an empty one.  
Glancing at Harry, she saw he was clearly uncomfortable but had a stubborn expression on his face. Knowing him she wouldn't be able to get him to leave. Sadly she probably would have to leave with him anyway. Then a sudden inspiration hit her.

Walking back to the sealed entrance she tried to push through from this side. She was not surprised that she didn't succeed. Then she shielded herself with the strongest biotic barrier she could comfortably hold for more than a few seconds. It would leave her drained afterwards but if Harry's look of awe was anything to go by she cut a striking figure. She smirked as she remembered when her mother had demonstrated her strongest barrier when she was still in training decades ago. The sight of her mother bathed in blue with glowing tendrils twisting and warping around her had been truly impressive.  
This time the wall let her pass easily.  
Outside she reduced the barrier to the barest minimum and tried to get back into the cavern. Again she was admitted but this time it felt as if she had to push through a dense molasses. _Strange. I have never __encountered a barrier that could be bypassed by biotics. At least I don't need Harry every time I want to enter._

Back inside she went to examine the mural more closely. It was obvious the stick figures at the bottom were later additions. She couldn't tell what species they were meant to represent but she didn't belief them to be Protheans. She scraped a bit of paint off to date them later.  
Again she found herself captivated by the three giant figures. The level of detail was astonishing, considering the rough stone they were painted on. She could make out every single scale, every single barb. Absent-mindedly she traced one of the birds wings. With a start she realized it was slightly warmer than the rock should be.

Leaving the mural, she approached the orb in the centre of the room. "And you said it expanded? What happened then?" she asked Harry.

"I... I don't really remember. Everything started glowing and then I felt something in my mind. I didn't like that. It was like reliving every bad memory all at once and someone saying..." he broke off, clearly distressed.

"Saying what Harry?"

"That I was not good enough. Like Uncle Vernon," he admitted with eyes downcast. Liara hugged him for a moment and kissed the top of his head. "I think it was that _thing_ in the middle. I don't know why. Then it changed and it was the dragon in my head. He wasn't pleasant either but not as bad. Then the bird was there. That actually felt nice. He cared about me. He reminded me about you."

"Harry? Would you do me a favour? I'm going to touch the orb and I need you to record everything that happens. Can you do that?" she smiled at his nodding. "Good. Now stay back there."

She approached the orb but hesitated at the last moment. What if something bad happened? But she felt as if she needed to do this. Squashing her fear she pressed the palm of her right hand on the orb. To her surprise nothing happened. Feeling a strange stab of disappointment she racked her brain. _Maybe it's like the wall?_

Concentrating, she focused her biotics once more, her hand glowing blue in the process.  
Her eyes widened in surprise as the orb expanded suddenly. She barely registered the glowing symbols that appeared on the wall or the figures coming to life. Like Harry had told her, the spike shot out from the orb and connected with the mural.

Harry had been right. The first presence was everything but pleasant. Liara tried to push it out of her mind but to no avail. As she was reliving her worst memories she felt humiliated like she had never before.  
When it stopped and the second presence, the dragon, entered her mind it was almost like a blessing. Again the memories threatened to drown her but this time the focus was different. It was more about how her hardships made her stronger, giving special attention to the incident twenty years ago. Surprisingly she felt the dragons respect for her actions.  
The bird was all that Harry promised, soothing and understanding. It was especially proud of how Liara treated Harry.

As suddenly as it started it was over again. Liara felt faint but managed to remain conscious. After steadying herself she noticed that Harry appeared scared but was still holding his omni-tool up to record like she asked him to. Giving him a reassuring nod she let go of the orb and staggered on wobbly legs to sit next to him. He too sunk down. "I am sorry that I scared you," she finally said.

"It's nothing. I've recorded everything just like you asked," he said with a brave grin that made her smile.

* * *

_Thursday, 2 November 1989 – 1 day later  
19:37  
Planet Medes – Asari Base Camp near Prothean Facility_

Liara felt the strain the last few days put her under keenly. She would love nothing more than sink into her cot and succumb to sweet oblivion. A nice little lay-in would do wonders to her stress levels. But rest had to wait. For now she would speak to her mother who was watching the footage Harry had gathered the day before for the tenth time. Liara approached her with two cups of tea in her hands just as her vid-self was released from the orb.

"Your tea, mother," she said, setting the cup down on the table before Benezia while she claimed the seat across from her. Benezia gave her a nod in gratitude and continued watching the last seconds of the vid.

They were in what could be termed the living room of Liara and Harry's little camp. It wasn't much, just a small table to enjoy meals cooked in the adjunct kitchenette, a couch and a vidscreen. Considering it was a prefab it was cosy enough. Just the place to relax after a hard day in the ruins.

Shiala had already begged off to bed, exhausted from forcing every little piece of information from the prisoners mind. At the end he had been in a much worse state, foaming from the mouth, his mind almost gone. They had put him out of his misery quickly.  
At one time Liara would have been repulsed by that method. To her the meld was something sacred. It still was, but more important it was a tool to keep her family safe. As long as it was used on the guilty she forced herself not to feel bad.  
It was commonly believed that Asari could only meld with a willing partner. That belief was wrong. True, most could not penetrate the mind of someone determined to keep them out and didn't even know it was possible to force themselves through but it was possible for someone with training. Just like it was possible to train to withstand such an assault.  
Liara, by virtue of who her mother was, not only knew about that little secret but also had training in resisting a forced meld. It had been a necessity. However she had refused to take the next step and learn to enter another's mind uninvited. She was still not keen on learning that particular skill. Especially since the result was always unpleasant for the loser.

"You have been reckless, Little Wing. You should have waited for us before interacting with that strange artefact," Benezia chided her, not for the first time. The Matriarch had been just as fascinated by the hidden cave as Liara had been but the orb had remained silent since last day. Neither Benezia, nor Shiala and the other acolytes could activate it.  
What was frustrating was that there was no machinery whatsoever to interact with. There was no circuitry, no nothing. The paint was just paint and the only unusual thing was the material the orb was made of. Some strange alloy containing Element Zero nobody had ever heard of.  
That and the fact that the outer dimensions of the cave didn't match the inner. They didn't even notice it until Harry pointed it out. The tunnel was slanted downwards but the change in altitude was less then fifteen feet and the tunnel, barely high enough for Liara to stand upright, adding six feet and change. However the cave was at least thirty feet high. It should have poked through the floor somewhere yet it didn't. Liara performed some seismic measurements and from the outside the cave appeared to be ten feet high and twenty across – a third of what they measured inside.

That got everyone's attention real quick. This was messing with the fabric of spacetime in a manner that appeared almost frivolous. Wouldn't it have been much easier to just dig a little deeper then to bend several laws of nature in ways nobody knew were even possible?  
Naturally Matriarch Benezia declared the whole thing top secret and swore everyone to the uttermost secrecy. This was easily as big as the discovery of the Mass Effect but it would require a very delicate touch. This discovery could quite possible ignite a war, despite the treaties that promised to share knowledge garnered from relics left by those that came before.  
Yet somehow Liara got the impression that was not the only reason in her mother's mind.

"You don't intend to share this discovery with the other Matriarchs, do you Mother?"

"Very astute, child. Indeed I will not. At least not for the foreseeable future," Benezia answered but did not elaborate further. Inwardly Liara groaned. Getting information from her mother was like pulling teeth.

"And why is that? Surely it isn't because of Harry's involvement. We can easily erase all traces of him ever setting foot on this planet. He would be long gone before anyone came to investigate," she probed further.

Benezia gave a weary sigh. "You will not let this drop, will you Little Wing?" seeing the determined look on her daughter's face she continued. "Harry is not the reason. Or at least he is not the only reason. As fond as I am of him, my first priority has always and will always be you. Ever since your birth I was aware of this looming threat that may take you away from me. What happened here only confirms my fears.  
"Please don't ask me what the threat is because I can not tell you. Yet."

"Very well Mother. If you say so," Liara said unhappily. She hated not being told anything. "But I have to say, that technology is amazing. Bending space? Machines that read minds as easily as a billboard? It seems like science fiction!"

"I'm not entirely convinced that there are machines involved," Benezia argued. Seeing the sceptic look on her daughter's face who was too polite to speak out of turn she continued. "It's just a feeling that I have, that there is some kind of echo in that place. Maybe it is nothing, just my imagination. But I don't believe that."

Liara was fidgeting, mulling things over in her head. Both remained silent for several long minutes. It was Benezia that spoke next.

"Have you read the journals of Matriarch Desala?"

"The pioneer from the early exploration age? The one that flew into the dark space between clusters when we ran into that relay dead end?  
"What of it? I admit her musings about loneliness and the galaxy as a connected entity are inspiring but I don't see where you are going with bringing her into the discussion."

"Those journals you read are not the complete story of Matriarch Desala," Benezia explained. "There are other records that have been sealed by the Matriarchy ever since they have been received. As my heiress you are allowed to know certain secrets like this one, although it is custom to wait until much later.  
"The secret journals tell us of the things between the pockets of light, as how Desala calls the star clusters, we are confined to by law. The things she met weren't machines but neither were they organic. She called them echoes of the damned, remnants of those that came before us and have since then vanished. I don't know if that's true or not, but there _is_ something out there.  
"We know very little as it is. There is no evidence of malicious intent but there is danger. Whatever those things are, they have no solid bodies that can be pinned down, just regions of space where scanners report odd things...  
"Do you remember how the first photographs were made?" If Liara was puzzled by the non-sequitur she didn't show it. "The image was projected onto a film of photosensitive material from which it could later be extracted again. Sometimes the same spot on this material would be used twice by accident, creating a superposition of both motifs, one of those fainter than the other. Most of the time the result was just rubbish and easily recognized as such. However sometimes it appeared to be just fine but with a translucent person standing there. Some of those pictures were disconcerting to say the least. Imagine a picture of a hallway where a half-transparent person is stuck halfway through the wall.  
"The scanner results were something like this. I have seen copies and they undeniably have a certain wrongness to them. Things appear just to vanish the next second just to flicker into existence once again. Odd structures can be seen in much detail in one band but not in others.  
"Desala would have attributed those phenomena to equipment malfunctions or signal artefacts where it not for a disturbing incident. Contrary to what is commonly known, there were two sister ships named for the twin cities of old: The Armalaea, Desala's ship, and the Atlanaea.  
"We don't know why, but the Atlanaea somehow drifted into one of those zones. They lost communications for almost two weeks, but aside from nobody reacting to their hails, the ship was working fine. But something happened inside that zone that mentally scarred those on board the Atlanaea badly. A few died and the rest were driven insane.  
"That is to say, at first about ninety percent of the survivors appeared to have lost their sanity, their minds broken although most still tended to their basic needs. What got the Matriarchy back then worried, resulting in the sealing of the reports and a general ban on further intercluster travel, were the other ten percent. As you know, the Asari as a species have very few psychopaths, in fact until we met the other races we didn't even have a word for it. We simply called them Ardat Yakshi, because while not every Ardat Yakshi is a psychopath there is no record of a psychopath that isn't an Ardat Yakshi.  
"However the twenty seemingly unaffected survivors had suddenly developed psychopathic tendencies. It was subtle and the counsellors didn't know what to look for and had no reason anyway. It didn't help that the victims were clever and waited until things had settled back into some kind of normality and then tried to ram the Armalaea, pushing her into one of those zones.  
"Their plan was thwarted by those that had been sent on board the Atlanaea to help the severely understaffed ship. They had to take out the drive core to do so, sacrificing their own lives in the process.  
"Nobody really believes that the twenty crew members turned into real Ardat Yakshi, after all there is a genetic component to it, but psychopathic Asari are worrying enough.  
"What Harry and you described you felt down there in the cave and what I was able to pick up reminded me of the fragmented reports from the insane crew members. They too felt this enormous presence that made them seem small and inconsequential.  
"I'm afraid, Little Wing. Something big and monstrous is about to happen. We have time, I think, but how much?"

* * *

_23:43_

Harry was tossing and turning in his cot, same as the day before. How was he supposed to sleep with what happened the last two days?

Giving up his futile attempts at sleep, he got up and dressed. Maybe flying would wear him out or soothe his agitated mind. It was worth a try.  
He took care to move and rummage in silence, not wanting to disturb Liara or Benezia and her acolytes. Thankfully his room was not very big. Just the bed and some places to store his personal possessions like the flying equipment. At first it had been difficult to adjust to sleeping in a confined space again and he had missed his huge room back on Thessia but after the first week his anxiety had abated. This wasn't his old cupboard. He wasn't confined to it and could come and go as he pleased. It was just another place to sleep.

Harry sighed. His... outburst... two days ago had opened wounds that he had thought closed, brought back issues he believed left behind on Earth. No such luck. But he had a family now, people who cared about him. He was going to be better.

Outside everything was quiet, the adults having gone to sleep an hour ago. Liara had peeked into his room and he had feigned sleep, not wanting to worry her. The gesture had been strangely reassuring but not enough to get him to sleep for real.

It was a fair walk, taking the better part of an hour, to his favourite ledge from where he could plunge down. It was very dark, only the stars illuminating his path but Harry wasn't worried. It was straight with no real obstacles – he could have walked it blind. While he was walking he hummed a song he had stumbled upon in the book he just started reading. Liara had praised it but cautioned him that it might be a bit long and difficult. She was right. It was difficult and long-winded, but Harry had taken it as a challenge, especially since the prequel was one of the best books he had ever read. Somehow the song and the world in those books spoke to him, he didn't know why.  
_"The road goes ever on and on  
Down from the door where it began.  
Hmm Hmm Hmm"_  
He didn't remember all the words so he just hummed to the melody he had made up.

Arriving at his destination he stood at the edge of the cliff, poised to jump but not yet ready. Normally he would just run and dive without a moment's hesitation, but right now he just didn't want to. Instead he let his gaze wander over the land in shadow in front of him. It was quite beautiful, breathtaking even. Behind him, he knew without looking, was the high plateau on which the facility stood, framed by high mountains. It had taken him a while to soften Liara up sufficiently to let him fly from up there. It was strange. She was fine with him jumping from this ledge but wouldn't let him hike or take the shuttle up to the real mountaintops.  
In front of him he could make out the hills and valleys in the shadow, completely bare of every form of life like everywhere on Medes. Harry guessed it was a little sad but at times he preferred the harsh barrenness. It was strangely liberating to be able to shout at the top of his lungs and nobody, safe Liara, was there to hear him and take offence. He had done so on several occasions. For all the amazing things he had seen and done on Thessia it irked him that he couldn't be himself out in public. It was times like these he felt the faintest twinge of homesickness. Not for Privet Drive but Earth. He wanted to stroll down a busy street without having to disguise himself. But Harry was still grateful for the chance he had been given. Besides, Liara had already hinted that they might visit Earth from time to time.

He jumped. But instead of the immediate elation he usually felt the second he becomes airborne, there was nothing. He glided for a couple of minutes, did some dives and other stunts but he did it more out of obligation and not because he really wanted to.  
Soon after he landed again near the place he had jumped, finally admitting he wouldn't get any consolation from flying. Not really wanting to return to the camp either he stretched out on the ground with his fingers interlaced behind his head.

The stars were impossibly bright, framed in his lower visions by the mountaintops. He soon got lost in the moment, remembering how he had first seen – really seen – the stars on Earth's moon. They had lured him back then and he had followed willingly. It was like the vast galaxy was his to explore and here he was now, at the frontier, discovering things even his new friends and mentors couldn't have imagined.

Yet the elation he should have felt with his discovery was tarnished. To many strange things had happened and Liara killing the intruders... It was simply a bit much for a nine-year old boy.

He didn't know how long he simply lay there stargazing but suddenly he was aware of movement just outside of his vision. He wasn't worried. Nobody on this planet would hurt him now that the excitement was over and the system had been swept thoroughly for hidden enemies.  
The person made herself comfortable beside him, probably laying in a similar position as him.

"Couldn't sleep?" Liara. He should have known. Subconsciously he probably had.

"No," Harry answered after a minute. It was, after all, not really a question that required an answer.

"What's on your mind, Harry?" she asked after another minute. Liara was considered hasty for an Asari but she was still Asari. Only Elcor could out-patience them. Harry was used to this. Not that Liara couldn't be passionate. She was when defending her opinion or teaching something she liked. Or when she decided he was slacking off too much or he did something irresponsible.  
Like when he had tried to build a hoverboard like Marty McFly had used in Back to the Future. He still protested that it worked. It wasn't his fault Liara was too slow to get out of the way when he tested it in the residence hallway! Where else could he find a long stretch of unobstructed space where only authorized people had access? Yes, the steering was not ideal, but that was what a prototype was for: to work out the kinks. The month-long guilt-trip she gave him was totally unfair in his opinion!

"When I was younger, I used to have dreams. I thought they were just my imagination running wild but now I'm not so certain any more," Harry explained. "When my life flashed before me down in that place I also saw three of my recurring dreams. But what if they aren't dreams but memories?"

"What were they about?"

"The first is kinda strange. There was this huge black dog but he was very friendly. He let me ride him so I guess I was very little. There was also another, even bigger animal. A horse maybe, or an elk or something. Maybe a reindeer?  
"The second is even stranger. I remember a flying motorcycle, but how is that possible? I guess you could strap a small Eezo core on it but back on Earth they don't know about that. I'm fairly certain I would remember flying motorcycles. Well, I kinda do, but that was in a dream, wasn't it?  
"But those two don't bother me much. They are good dreams. The last one is bad. There are two people screaming and they are really afraid and I believe they are my mum and dad. Then there is a third voice and it's really cold and demanding and it laughs like some movie villain but they usually sound just silly but this one doesn't. He's evil, I'm certain. Then there is this green light and then I usually wake up and my head hurts really bad.  
"What do you think they are Liara? Just dreams? I wouldn't mind if the first two were real but the last one scares me."

"I don't know Harry. It is possible that they are half-forgotten memories. I know very little about how Human babies perceive the world and how much they remember but the subconscious is something even we Asari don't understand fully," Liara said. "If they return, maybe you can speak to Skui about them. She has a masters in psychology so she might be able to help you." They both fell silent again.

"Is it always like this? You find something and someone tries to just take it away from you?" Harry asked after some time. "I wanted to be an explorer, you know. Seeing the wonders of the galaxy first hand. Maybe discover something unique. But now, I'm not so certain any more."

"Well, you certainly found something here Harry," Liara chuckled, not only referencing to the hidden chamber. "To answer your question: No. It isn't always like this. Most of the time nobody bothers us explorers and archaeologists. And there is much beauty in the galaxy to discover."

"Really? I would like to see that. Right now, this place seems ugly."

Liara hummed, measuring his words. "Give me your hand, Harry. I will show you something."

"But it's so comfy here. I don't want to go back right now," Harry whined a bit. Liara chuckled.

"Don't worry Shorty. We won't go anywhere. Just a short trip down memory lane," she assured him.

"Memory lane..." Harry stated uncertainly. Then his eyes widened in realization. "You mean we are going to meld? But isn't that like sex for Asari?" he asked flustered.

"Oh Goddess, no!" Liara was shocked and was suddenly feeling embarrassed and awkward. She recovered quickly however and tried to sweep her sudden embarrassment under the rug by going in Professor Liara mode. "While yes, a certain kind of Meld is integral to our reproduction and part of the most intimate contacts of romantic nature, other kinds are used in purely platonic context. They are always intimate in the sense that they require trust between the two participants but romantic feelings are not necessary.  
"For example, mothers and daughters have to meld frequently over the first two decades in order for the child to properly develop. Close friends and siblings may share memories with each other or even experience a true Joining without having sex.  
"What I propose is a simple knowledge meld. I share a certain memory with you so that you can relive it. This practise is quite common among friends or even colleagues."

Truth be told, Liara was nervous herself. While everything she had told was true, she was the exception to the rule. Other than Benezia in her youth and Shiala during her training she hadn't melded with anyone and her training was over two decades ago. A small hand grasping hers brought her out of her funk.

"Alright," Harry gave her the verbal assent.

"Good. Try to relax. Embrace Eternity!" For a short moment it felt like she would have to push her way into Harry's mind, something she hadn't experienced before. But with a slight reassuring squeeze of her hand the tension abated and she was in.

It hadn't been difficult selecting the memory she wanted him to see. The first time Liara had seen the Citadel was just what he needed. Obviously he knew about the history of the massive space station but he hadn't actually been there. It was one thing to smuggle a single passenger into the T'Soni household especially when Benezia smoothed the way, but the Citadel's security was too tight to risk it. She only hoped he could one day go there himself, something that had become increasingly more likely during the past days. After all, if he could transform Batarians into pigs, why shouldn't he be able to transform himself into, say, an Asari?

_Harry was standing in front of a huge panorama window aboard what he knew was the diplomatic vessel _Atame's Breath_. It had cleared the relay in the Serpent Nebula just moments prior, evidenced by the chaotic yet beautiful swirl of colours outside the window._

_He was holding somebody's hand and even without looking he knew it was Aunt (?) Benezia. No. Mother Benezia. Harry was confused for a short moment but soon it came back to him. This was a memory. To be precise, Liara's memory and he was currently in her body. Weird._

_His own thoughts and feelings felt slightly detached, instead he shared Liara's excitement, her giddiness of finally seeing and experiencing the Citadel, greatest relict of the Protheans. He found himself trying to push away the dense molecular clouds of the Serpent Nebula with her (his?) mind. And almost as if she (he?) had succeeded a dark shape could be made out in the sea of colours. Her (his?) face began to hurt from the huge grin that nearly split it in half and he was sure her eyes would sparkle like they always did when she found something new and exciting, only ten times as intense as he had ever seen._

_One of the Citadel wards stabbed through the obscuring gas, like a skyscraper or a mountain would suddenly peak out among the retreating clouds, loosing the haziness in an instant. The lights of a huge city could be made out on the inside as slowly more and more of the gigantic wing came into focus. Then the edges of the two adjunct wards cleared the clouds, as the _Breath_ came closer to the inner docks that were her destination._

_And there it was. The Presidium Ring with the Council Tower striking out from it, impossibly tall, Centre of the Galactic Community, seat of power of the Council, the biggest, most beautiful marvel left behind by the Protheans._

_She (He?) was in a daze, the docking procedure rushing past her almost unacknowledged, just like the security check they had to endure failed to consciously register in her mind. There was a brief flicker of annoyance at the excruciatingly slow elevators but even that nuisance did nothing to sour the mood._

_And then they stepped out of the blasted contraption and into the lush gardens of the Presidium. This year it had been the Salarians who were in charge of the landscaping. She could see the Council Tower in the distance, the Relay monument close by, both of them just close enough so that the ring's curvature was not yet noticeable._

_As they walked through the tropical gardens they tried to take in all the sights at once. Several times they looked straight up to see the opposite side of the inner ring, too far away to make out any details yet close enough to see buildings, lakes and the green of the plants. The smile had never left their face and for now she and he were content._

_In the part that was still the Human boy, Harry made a vow that one day he would walk the Presidium, like Liara did in her memory, carefree and as himself._

* * *

_Friday, 10 May 1990  
11:00  
Granger House near Oxford_

Summer had come early this year and while the pool's water was still colder than she would have liked, Hermione was glad that she could swim away her excessive energy. Running – and the home trainer for deep winter – was nice and all, ideal to gather her thoughts, but she loved the water. It was much more relaxing even though she couldn't let her mind wander.

Today Hermione got an early start. With it being parent-teacher-day and therefore no school after recess, she had been home at ten and decided a swim would be in order. She had some anger to vent. Dursley still got on her nerves even after over two years and this week had been especially bad. During the excursion to the zoo on Monday there had been an _incident_ and naturally he blamed her. The teachers found the accusation absurd – there was no way she pushed him through solid bars of iron! Hermione wasn't so certain. In fact she was almost positive it was her, as he had pushed her out of the way to see the baboons, making her angry in the process. She had long ago realized her strange powers were governed by her emotions.

Climbing out of the water and drying herself she glanced at her watch. Her parents wouldn't return for another hour at least. Time enough to make some additional experiments. She grabbed her towel and walked toward the house. The Grangers lived in a beautiful English country house, a manor really, which was about the only thing she liked about her 'inheritance'. Well, the house and the library of course.

When people asked her what her parents did, she told them they were dentists. And that was true for a certain value of truth. Her father Gaius actually had a double degree in dental surgery and as a general physician. He was also Surgeon Dentist to the Queen and like his father, Hermione's grandfather, and countless Grangers before them would one day become what was in this age called the Head of the Royal Medical Household, but really was the Royal Physician, the person entrusted with the health of the royal family.  
Together with his wife Jeanne Granger née Du Lys he also headed a dental surgery in central London that was very popular with the upper class. People paid an outrageous premium to let her parents torture them with drills and hooks.

Which meant, especially as a Baronet married to a French noble, her father was often invited to various social events of the peerage. And Hermione as the dutiful daughter and heiress had to accompany her parents. Oh how she loathed those gatherings!  
The sense of entitlement and snobbish attitude at those events had her retching. Even worse were the children her age. Most of them were so shallow and petty, Dursley would fit right in were it not for his missing manners. A few were all right she guessed. She had been positively surprised by the Princes William and Harry but she only met them a few times. Besides even William was three years her junior and both Princes were almost constantly surrounded by various bootlickers. Nowadays she always took a book with her to those gatherings and stole off as soon as possible.

After a quick shower Hermione, still nude, examined herself in front of her dressing mirror, a habit she had developed over the last months. She was hitting puberty, there was no denying it, although it was barely noticeable even without the clothes. A few hairs, a minuscule swelling in the chest area was the extend of the change so far. Thankfully her monthlies hadn't started yet. She was so not looking forward to them after what her mother and various books had told her. With luck she had another two or even three years.

Like most girls her age she was not satisfied with her body. Her mother was beautiful, even at the advanced age of 48 – her parents had married late and decided to have her even later, almost too late – and intellectually Hermione knew she had the same build, many of her mother's features and _probably_ would grow up to be just as beautiful. But where her mother was svelte and lithe yet displayed obvious feminine curves, the young girl felt gangly and thought her frame boyish. And better not talk about her hair in her vicinity! Although right now, still wet from her shower and all curly, she rather liked it. If it only it would stay that way when dry!  
In short, her insecurities told her she was ugly but her intellect countered it wasn't so bad and probably would get much better after her body had dealt with that pesky nuisance called puberty. Certainly nothing to fret over unduly. Maybe get some specialized shampoo.

The inspection done and dressed in knickers and a camisole she retrieved and opened her special notebook, hidden on the underside of her sock drawer. It was half-full with observations, all written in mirror script because she had read that Leonardo Da Vinci had done the same.  
The first three pages were reserved for a list of her 'accidental events' as she called them. The last entry was pushing Dudley through the bars of the monkey compound. It still boggled her mind how she had done _that_. As far as she could tell, neither the bars, nor the boy changed shape. Somehow the large boy fitted through a three-inch opening. Was she messing with the space dimensions? As awesome as that would be, it couldn't possibly be safe!  
Besides how should she name that power? Naming things was very important to her, it made her powers more real. Telekinesis was easy as was Psychics. Transmogrification was a bit harder until she stumbled upon a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip that featured a cardbox that could change anyone's shape. She would have to hit the books to come up with something suitable. Probably something Greek. Maybe she had to come up with it too. Joy!

After quickly scanning the last entry about her failure to change the colour of her least favourite dress she decided to do some simple exercises first. Maybe some warm-up would help?

Hermione walked in front of her rather large bookcase. The highest row was far out of her reach and would normally require the use of a chair. But Hermione didn't want to use a chair. She wanted her Dune book which sat in the middle of the highest shelf and she wanted it now. She started to hyperventilate in anger and frustration. It was faked of course, after all she could just go and grab the chair and get the book, but strong emotions helped her powers she had discovered. And sure enough the book flew into her outstretched hand after half a minute of angry glaring and huffing.

Hermione smiled, the fake anger gone. She was getting better, a few months ago she would have had to shed angry tears. Now for the more difficult part.  
She laid the book on the floor and settled herself into a lotus position in front of it. Emotions were all well and good but they didn't appeal to the rational girl as a way to harness her powers. So last year she started trying to do things differently by focusing on what she wanted to happen. It was much harder, but eventually she succeeded after half a year of daily staring matches between herself and the inanimate objects she wanted to affect.  
Progress was slow. While she could easily make a book fly into her hand when she was riled up, it took her almost ten minutes to lift the same book by focusing on it and even then she had barely any control. Mostly the book just sort of floated around a bit and then plopped back to the ground. This time was no different, although Hermione convinced herself that she had been just a tiny bit faster and held the levitation a fraction longer. She would time her efforts but since she couldn't let herself become distracted, all she could measure the overall length of the exercise from sitting down to the moment the book was back on the ground.

Satisfied with her warm-up she went to get the dress she was currently trying to change. It was an ugly shade of pink she would never wear in public. Her colour was obviously blue or a pale purple. Everybody knew that, except for her mother apparently.

She donned the dress and turned back to the mirror she had used before. She narrowed her eyes, an expression some of her classmates had begun to fear as it was usually followed by a tongue-lashing, and glared at herself. Or rather the dress she was wearing. She hated it. The colour was ugly. She hated that colour. It made her feel ugly. It made her ugly. Hermione didn't want to be ugly.  
Slowly the colour changed into a pale bluish colour which she identified as periwinkle. After she was certain the change was complete she gave a whoop of joy. She'd done it!

After a short twirl of celebration in the much improved dress she settled down again. She had to record her success. Besides her parents would soon return and probably would want to speak with her. There was no way the zoo-incident wouldn't have been mentioned by her class teacher. She quickly grabbed her fountain pen and wrote down her observations with her left hand. She was actually right-handed but when she had broken her right arm in first grade she had learned to write with her left as well. Over the years she had kept practicing with both so she wouldn't have to relay on anyone to take notes for her. Once was enough, thank you very much.  
Thinking about her old injury brought her back to her problem at school. The accident had been a tormenting gone wrong. That time the bully had actually apologized and left her alone afterwards. If only Dursley would leave her alone!

Obviously she had told her parents about the bullying but nothing ever came of it. Dudley never did anything overt any more. Everyone knew he was tormenting her and sometimes he received punishments but he just wouldn't stop. It didn't help that his guardians, first his aunt and later his mother were firmly on his side. When she'd met Petunia Dursley during one of the several meetings where the school officials tried to reach a truce or understanding the woman shot her several venomous looks. Whatever had Hermione done to that horse-faced failed mother? Did they know about her powers and hated her because of them? Certainly Dudley had been the most frequent and obvious target of her emotion-fuelled outburst.  
Her father had made some inquiries and found out that the elder Dursleys had been convicted of child neglect. Although the file was sealed as it concerned a minor, it was obvious that neglected child hadn't been Dudley.

Hermione heard her father's car driving up the slip road. Sighing she put away the notebook and the dress. Later she would copy her new findings into the computer that she had gotten for Christmas. She would do away with the notebook completely, but she had found out early that her powers didn't play nice with her computer.  
The arrival of her parents put a little dent in her current experiment. She wanted to time how long the change lasted but she would be called to a family discussion in a few moments. She had little hope that the dress would still be transmogrified in half an hour so she had no choice but postpone that measurement, lest it changed in the middle of their little family talk. After all the trouble she had gone to keep her powers and experiments secret it wouldn't do to slip up now. It wasn't as if she hadn't enough time on her own to do as she pleased. Her parents weren't around much after all.

As predicted her mother called her to the library soon after. She settled into one of the antique sofas while her parents sat on another across from her. Hermione had changed back into more formal wear after realizing it would be expected from her.

Hermione couldn't help to be slightly apprehensive. Not because of what happened with Dursley but about her grades. They were important to her and she wanted to do well. Not just to please her parents but to prove her enrolment into a prestigious public secondary school the year after next was more than just because of who her parents were. She wanted to earn her place.

Apparently she needn't have worried. Her teachers were praising her to the high heavens, her parents were immensely pleased and everyone was sure she would finish this year like the last: at the top of the national ranking list of her year.

Then the thing she had dreaded from the moment she had left school three hours ago happened.

"Hermione, why haven't you told us that _boy_ continues to bully you?" her mother Jeanne asked, French accent barely noticeable but still there after over twenty years in Britain.

"Because it wouldn't have changed anything. Nothing anyone ever did helped. Dursley hates me for some reason I can't fathom," Hermione replied for the thousandth time. They had had that discussion before. "Besides, only a month and a year and I'll never see him again."

"Be that as it may, we are worried," Gaius Granger rumbled. Hermione loved her parents, but her father intimidated her. Almost ten years older than her mother, approaching sixty, daughter and father didn't understand each other very well. The age-gap was simply to big. Hermione's mother on the other hand was still very much a Frenchwoman and let it show. Hermione didn't have anything against the French. The family holidayed often at her mother's family estate and she loved it there, but it infuriated the young girl that her mother was so set against integrating herself into the British culture, except for the social events. Why she did come here in the first place was a mystery to her.

"We have debated the problem and while we can do nothing against the boy directly, your mother and I have decided that you will learn to defend yourself, in case the situation should escalate," he continued while Hermione forced down a huff. They had done it again and made decisions for her without consulting her. Either sensing her disapproval or just wanting to make his case, her father continued. "Right now he keeps to snide remarks and the occasional shove but as boys get older they become more aggressive. It's a fact of puberty which is unavoidable.  
"We want you ready if you find yourself in a situation where you may be subject to violence. Therefore starting after school you will attend self-defence classes three times a week."

Hermione knew arguing was futile. She had tried that when her parents decided she should try out some group sports and it hadn't helped. That had been a disaster. Hermione wasn't unathletic. She was certainly no top athlete but cycling, running or swimming three to four times a week gave her a basic fitness. She subscribed to the 'mens sana in corpore sano' mentality. But she didn't interact with other kids well. They didn't hate her but they made her feel unwelcome. And Hermione didn't want to force herself upon the unwilling. She had tried that in first and second grade and it had not turned out well at all.  
Something set her apart from her peers and she was becoming convinced it was her powers. Either she had a vastly different outlook the other children in her age bracket didn't share because of it, or they could somehow sense them and were afraid of her powers. Either way she had accepted to be an outcast. Maybe when she got older people her age would stop being stupid. After all she got along with adults just fine. Still, it hurt not to be accepted by her peers.

Instead of forcing a direct confrontation with her parents she would research her options. While her father had hinted at general purpose self defence lessons, maybe she could change his mind to something more interesting. Learning martial arts wasn't something she would have done on her own volition but she wasn't totally opposed to the idea. From the primer she had read some time ago, some might even be able to help her with her experiments. After all focus was very important in most martial arts traditions.

"Anything else Dad? Mum? Mrs. Etgen is coming in an hour for my piano lessons and I would like to revisit the last sheet she has shown me."

Ten minutes later soft piano music could be heard from the sitting room.

* * *

_Tuesday, 31 July 1990  
6:00  
The Burrow_

Ginevra Weasley bounded down the stairs from her room into the kitchen. Today was a special day but she was secretly afraid that once again neither Witch Weekly nor the Prophet would report anything new about her hero, Harry Potter. Today was The-Boy-Who-Lived's birthday and there was always some kind of special in the papers.

Ever since Ginny started reading she soaked up anything associated with Harry Potter. If you asked her brothers she was a bit obsessed with him. Nothing unusually for a girl her age really.

Up until a couple of years back Witch Weekly had an almost monthly column about Harry-Potter-sightings. All kinds of people, mostly muggleborn or squibs, would write the magazine how they had met the boy on the street or in the mall (Ginny hadn't known what a mall was, but her father told her it was some kind of muggle store) and how polite the boy was and just how his father he looked. Sometimes there would even be a photograph of the boy. Usually they were of a bad quality but they still proved that he was real.  
What had her worried was that the reports of Harry-sightings had taken a drastic hit. They still came in from time to time, but even Ginny knew most, if not all of them, were fabrications or wishful thinking. Which led to the question: Where was Harry Potter?

Anxious the redhead scanned the paper. As she had feared: no new sightings. Had he left Britain? That would have been horribly unfair! Since she was old enough to do the math, she had wished she was a year older. Ron had all the luck! He would be in the same year as Harry, while she was a year lower and had to hope she would at least be sorted into the same house. And now he might not even attend Hogwarts!  
The world was unfair!

* * *

_Tuesday, 31 July 1990  
9:06  
The Rookery (Lovegood Residence)_

Luna was standing in front of her window as she saw Mrs. Weasley and Ginny apparate on the path to the Lovegood's home. She loved her friend dearly, but she knew what day it was. Today Ginny would only talk about Harry Potter. Luna didn't mind terribly. Any topic was better than being alone.

Luna's mother had died a year ago. Everyone believed that she died while experimenting with a new spell she had crafted, which led to a new legislation against spellcrafters. Nowadays it was nearly impossible to conduct research into news spells openly. Sanctioned crafters were restricted to invent new but cheap parlour tricks.

Only her father knew that Luna was actually present when it had happened. Luna, like many girls her age, was fascinated by her mother's work and had sneaked back into the house and hid in a cupboard like many times before. What happened next was horrifying. Several man, dressed in the dark cloaks of the Unspeakables broke into the room, bypassing the anti-apparition wards that every magical home had easily. Selene Lovegood had been as surprised as her daughter and put up no resistance when several stunner hit her in the chest. One of the Unspeakables cast a spell that let loose a large amount of wild magic and then they all left again.

Luna had tried to reach her mother but the doors of the cupboard were slammed shut and some pressure made it impossible for her to open them again. She hammered against them in desperation, tears streaming down her cheeks, while she screamed for her mother. Outside the cupboard all hell broke loose by the sound of it and how the cupboard shook.

All of a sudden the noise stopped, the pressure vanished and Luna tumbled out of her hiding place. She scrambled to reach her mother who was now lying in a heap in a corner, limbs twisted at odd angles.

Her father found her minutes later, alerted that something had happened at home, crying over her mother's lifeless body.

They still grieved over Selene, but sometime in the last half-year the grief triggered their furry, burning cold and unnoticed by anyone. For some reason the government had decided Selene Lovegood needed to die. Xenophilius wanted to know why and so did his daughter. However, going against the ministry might endanger them. If working in an obscure and frowned upon field like spellcrafting could get someone killed, how much worse would it be if someone found out the Lovegoods actively sought answers the ministry would hate to give?

Xeno had decided they would hide in plain sight, crafting eccentric but harmless personae for themselves as to not raise harmful suspicion. The Lovegoods were fairly wealthy which allowed Xeno to finance his hobby, the biweekly 'Quibbler'-magazine, which focused on interesting but mostly useless facts, reviews on obscure findings and generally odd things that came up when dealing with magic. It was meant to not be taken entirely seriously while still providing mostly facts.

That changed. In the last five months paranoid and over the top conspiracy theories featured heavily, as did other crazy ideas. The verdict was still out there if the new orientation was a joke or if the grieving man has lost his last cauldron.

The ringing bell that announced the visitors brought Luna back to the present. With a heavy sigh she grabbed her plum-earrings and put on her Loony-mask. Ginny was a good friend and she hated to do this to her, but at the same time she had to in order to keep all of them safe.

She skipped out of her room with fake cheerfulness and readied herself to hear, once more, all about Harry Potter.

* * *

_Monday, 29 April 1991  
9:00  
T'Soni Tower, Harry's room_

Harry was standing on a low chair with a mighty scowl on his face, Liara bustling around him. He was down to his briefs but that didn't bother him. Standing naked wouldn't have bothered him either. Body modesty was almost unknown among Asari and Harry had adopted that view easily enough. After all he now noticed certain perks that came with that custom. Puberty was slowly rearing its head and Harry noticed certain exciting things he hadn't before.

But right now he was scowling at Liara who fussed with some measuring tape and from time to time ordered him to take on a certain pose: arms forward, to the side, standing on one leg while the other knee was raised to his stomach. In short he was being measured for some fancy clothes. In two months time Liara would celebrate her 100th birthday, one of very few that warranted celebration to the Asari as it was the traditional age they reached maturity. Benezia was hosting a ball in her daughter's honour, just after the ritual which would be conducted in the family shrine instead of the temple.  
Secretly Harry was looking forward to it. It was a chance to socialize in the flesh with other children, although he had to stay disguised. He was also touched that Liara had asked him to be her companion for the night. Usually that position was reserved to close friends or family members and Liara had told him more than once he fit both bills.  
Then he got told what he was expected to wear.

He had dodged a bullet there. Initially Liara wanted him to wear a fancy dress. It was more concealing than a traditional companion's dress, since certain parts of his anatomy would give him away but it was still a _dress_. Designed to be worn by someone female. Which Harry was most decisively _not_.  
Granted, a year ago it wouldn't have bothered him that much. He had worn dresses before. But something had changed over the last year. Now the boy would rather go naked than in a dress, no thank you!  
After a small spat between Liara and Harry, the former had given in and allowed him to wear something like a Human suit. The end result was still a bit girly for his tastes, but Harry had relented.  
Which lead to his current predicament. The suit would be a special commission and the tailor needed Harry's measurements. Why that couldn't be done with a quick omni-tool scan, Harry didn't know. _Wait a minute..._

"Liara, why don't you use your omni-tool to take the measurements? I know for a fact that thing has a 3D scanning function," he growled. It wasn't the most intimidating sound. Liara didn't pay him any mind.

"You are pranking me, aren't you Liara? Admit it! This is completely unnecessary!"

"Why yes Harry! You are being pranked. And it took you only fifteen minutes to cotton on," Liara said cheerfully, an unrepentant grin on her face. "Now bend your right leg so your foot touches your backside."

"Why? Why would you do this?" Harry whined but complied. There was no way out.

"Do you remember last week's training? You floated that ball of water above me and doused me. I was completely soaked! Now hold still and take it like a _man_. Remember, you have dancing lessons with mother and I later. And you better don't forget your practise the Laloe like last week!"

Harry groaned.

* * *

_Friday, 21 June 1991  
18:00  
T'Soni Tower, Family Shrine_

Liara was nervous. The ritual she would soon undergo was ancient and she had heard a couple of bad things about it during her time at the university. It was rumoured to be invasive and unpleasant. It didn't help that the priestess was a T'Diu.

The T'Sonis and the T'Diu were hereditary enemies from time immemorial. There simply didn't exist records before a time the two families, two of the most powerful on Thessia, had been anything more than unwilling temporary allies of convenience. Most of the time they could only be described as bitter rivals, competing in every theatre of war, be it political, economic or literal warfare. They would work together for a time when it was absolutely necessary, like during the Rachnii Wars, but would be at each other's throat again the moment the time of need had passed. Politeness, a very important quality among the Asari upper class even when dealing with ones enemies, went out the window when a T'Soni met a T'Diu. Their quarrelling was the stuff of legends, often quite literally. Liara knew at least sixteen epic stories where it played a major part.

Harry apparently sensing her unrest squeezed the hand he was holding. The two of them were alone in the shrine, her mother and Shiala standing guard outside in the antechamber as tradition demanded. During the ritual only the priestess, the young maiden and her companion were allowed in the shrine.  
Benezia had been furious when she had been notified who the priestess would be, but to no avail. The other Matriarch had seniority over her, even if only by a couple of days and might have traded in some favours to get to be the one to test Liara. From what Liara could piece together, Aethyta and Benezia had been acolytes at the temple together over half a millennium ago and at each others throat from the start. Even when Aethyta served in the Matriarchy she was always at odds with her mother. Was this some kind of petty revenge? While there were strict guidelines and harsh punishments if the priestess stepped out of line during the ritual, Liara suspected there existed ways to make the experience more humiliating.

A gong sounded through the chamber, announcing the arrival of the priestess. The great doors opened and admitted an older Asari who looked like she had seen much hardship but at the same time radiated power. Her whole presence reminded her eerily of Benezia's. _Must be a Matriarch thing._

"Companion, prepare the initiate," the priestess commanded gravely.

Harry, having been coached what was expected from him, helped Liara shrugging off her light robe and guided her into the small pool, fed by salt-water directly from the sea. Taking a deep breath, the young Asari let herself be submerged, coming to rest in a kneeling position. Harry's job was to keep her under water until the ritual was completed. He also made sure she didn't stay under for too long. Asari were able to hold their breath for half an hour but since the feeling of time vanished during the meld what happened next could be dangerous.

In the meantime the priestess had shed her own robe and waded into the pool herself. Standing in front of her, she placed one hand on Liara's head. "Goddess Athame, before you kneels one who seeks admittance into the fold of your people. As you judged and purged our mothers from those with treacherous thoughts, so too shall this daughter be judged and purged. Embrace Eternity!" she cried, eyes turning black.

True to form Liara had tried to research the ritual beforehand but it was not something people talked about. What was available to her was mostly mystified hogwash with very little substance to it. What she was able to piece together was that the priestess somehow invaded the young Asari's mind without the girls knowledge or making her forget later.

This priestess however did not attack her mind like Shiala had during her training. Instead of the expected frontal assault there was a soft, almost hesitant nudge, an invite to open up the gates not to a conqueror but a friend and ally.

Hesitantly she accepted, there really was no other option. What followed was the last thing she expected. The priestess initiated a True Joining, a temporary merging of their essences. Normally such a thing was reserved to family and very close friends. To join with a complete stranger, an enemy of the family even, was unthinkable.

In the time between realizing what was about to happen and the moment Liara became part of the joined gestalt she tried and failed to make sense of this move. There was nothing to be gained from such a Joining; no memories were exchanged, no room to plant subtle subconscious influences. In fact, considering that Liara was a maiden of only 100 years while the priestess was a Matriarch of at least six centuries, if anybody stood to gain anything it was Liara.

However Liara didn't have long to contemplate the ramifications of the situation. Time lost meaning after the Joining took hold.

Many have tried to describe the True Joining but all have failed. In fact, one of the oldest written fragments was one such attempt and wildly considered one if not the most accurate and still rather vague. It is also the source of the traditional words _'Embrace Eternity'_.  
_Two become one. It is not to be feared but embraced. Time is meaningless. The joined mind is infinite, eternal._

It wasn't about memories or secrets like the Knowledge Meld, and not really about two persons enjoying each other like the Body Meld. Traditionalists sometimes called the True Joining the Soul Meld and maybe there was something to it. Whatever it was called, it had a profound meaning to those involved. Both parties took something from the other, learned something as a person. Nothing really tangible, rather things that came through experience or just age, like calmness, patience and resolve, but also less desirable traits. It really depended on the two persons and what traits defined them. After the Joining they understand each other in ways that take other species a lifetime to achieve.

When the joining was over, Liara was disoriented and a bit wobbly on her feet. Harry helped her out of the pool, unsure what happened and throwing more then one dubious look towards the priestess who seemed to take it better than Liara had.

After Harry had helped her back into her robe and she had regained some of her wits, Liara was itching for answers. "Revered Mother..."

"Yeah, yeah, you are surprised and want answers. Sorry, can't give them to you. Not my place. Ask your mother. Knowing her, she will have a talk with you after the ball," Aethyta waved her off and stalked through the side-portal out of the shrine. Liara could only stare after her in flabbergasted silence, mouth opening and closing like a fish's.

* * *

_Friday, 21 June 1991  
21:26  
Hogwarts, Astronomy Tower_

The ancient wizard went over the preparations a last time, checking that the runes had been drawn correctly with the right materials. His three companions observed in silent awe. Rituals were a thing of the past, outlawed for the most part by the ministry for reasons that never made much sense. The younger two had never seen one performed while the older witch hadn't seen one in decades and never one this elaborate. Generally rituals were deemed dark, but how this specific ritual could be considered such was inconceivable.

The circle, unique to each ritual, was tailored to the current star configuration. For this specific ritual the star Polaris and the zodiac Sagittarius were the most important. The former to give direction, the latter as embodiment of the search. That it stood also for faith, mutability and fire was an added bonus.

Inside the circle perched the wizard's fourth companion, his familiar. Fawkes, mirroring the characteristics of the zodiac and aided by his ability to travel to wherever he wanted would amplify the ritual usually designed for a lesser bird. Tied to his leg was a letter, in his beak he held a curl of fine black hair. Without that strand the ritual would not be possible. Dumbledore had found it in one of the photo albums in the wreckage that had once been the Potter's refuge.  
The muggles – and some wizards when they cared to think about it – entertained the superstition that with just a hair or a drop of blood a wizard or witch could do horrible things to the person from afar. Thanks to the principle of consanguinity – once together, always together. This was part of why rituals were first shunned and then outright forbidden.  
Unlike in potions however, the intent with which those kinds of ingredients – or foci – were harvested was crucial to the success of the ritual. Had the hair been pilfered from the barber's this specific ritual would fail. This hair however was lovingly collected by a mother as a memento to forever remember he baby – a different thing altogether.

Just as the moon approached his zenith the Headmaster directed his Human companions to their places, each standing in one of the four cardinal directions with him acting as the north pole. He gave his familiar a solemn wave, hoping they would see each other again but for the first time in decades uncertain that the phoenix would be able to find him again. One last glance at his strange watch and with a motion of his hand the three wizards and one witch began to chant.

Five minutes later the magical bird was gone in a flash of fire while the four that remained behind sagged to the ground unconscious.

* * *

_Friday, 21 June 1991  
22:47  
T'Soni Tower, Ball Room_

Slowly the ball was coming to an end. Some people might stay for another hour or two but the younger generation was already gone to haunt the clubs in the vicinity while the older Asari were about ready to call it a night and follow those with children who had already returned home.  
That had been a disappointment. Despite his hope, Harry hadn't fit in with the Asari children. It was the same problem like always: Those that appeared his age acted much younger than him, while those he could relate to considered him a snot-nosed brat because his small frame. Oh, they would talk to him because it was the polite thing to do, but as soon as there was the slightest lull in the conversation they would turn around and walk off to talk with their friends. How was he to make friends under these circumstances? Was he forever doomed to hide behind some fabricated avatar in virtual space?

Still, the ball had been fun. The food was excellent, some of the older people had told him some funny stories and he had enjoyed the dancing. Liara had shocked everyone with her choice of face-markings. Instead of one of the more traditional T'Soni-tattoos she decided on subtle fake-eyebrows, claiming it was a facial feature of an ancient species she found fascinating. Benezia one-upped her and got the exact same tattoos as well. Everyone got a laugh out of them trying how this new addition changed their facial expressions.  
Harry was one of the few persons who knew the real reason why Liara had decided on eyebrows. Raising ones eyebrow in question or gentle reprimand without the eyebrow was rather pointless even if it was Liara's favourite expression.  
Now it was time to just sit back and let his thoughts wander. The last year had been interesting even by his standards, but at the same time there was no singular event that stood out. After Medes Liara, with help from Skui and some select others, had tried to make sense from what he had done to the slavers.  
With mixed results.

He hadn't been able to duplicate the feat of turning some creature into a pig – or any other animal for that matter – but he had been able to change the colour of some things that offended his sensibilities. Apparently he really hated pink. Who would have guessed?  
However what he actually did still eluded them. They could tell that the Eezo in his body was active but not like when he used his biotics. That wasn't too surprising since there were no Mass Effect fields involved.

He was also able to move things without using his biotics but it had been clumsy and ultimately wasn't really worth the effort, in his opinion. Nevertheless Liara had pushed and there had been some small progress. At least he didn't have to get angry to make something zoom away from him any more.

His biotics by contrast were progressing nicely. He still wasn't nearly as strong as Liara or even Shiala but he had finally graduated from the light weights and had learned how to throw a biotic punch that would stagger an unprotected opponent. In a year or three he might be ready to learn how to create a barrier or even a stasis field. Singularities, Warps and Charges would take even longer but he was certain he would get there.

Outside his training he had learned a lot about Asari customs and proper behaviour as was expected from a high ranking member of one of the families that formed the Sapphire Circle. Just because he couldn't interact with the galaxy outside a very small group apparently was no excuse to slack off in that department. As a result he had learned how to speak, behave, how to hold his body, what was expected from him and what he could expect from others. He also had to learn how to dance, play a traditional instrument and how to receive and conduct the ancient tea rituals. Half the time he had been terribly bored but Benezia had been adamant. The T'Sonis had adopted him in their hearts and minds and therefore he was expected to know these things.

On a more positive side his friendship with Primus and Bob had deepened although it was still purely virtual. Instead of only playing together they had discussions from time to time, mostly about what they had learned. It had been clear from the start that each held back some things because of different obligations. Primus was learning from his father who had returned and was training his son so he could join one of the more prestigious regiments of the Turian army and while most of the training was standard stuff, Harry got the impression Primus was also told some of his father's secrets. Considering he was some kind of super-agent they were bound to be useful – but only as long as they stayed secret.  
Bob was even worse. He was all to happy to relate the finer points of economics but at the same time he didn't tell them about all the loopholes his family had found over the years. Once or twice he had slipped up and begged them to not tell anybody, which was the sole reason his audience of two had even noticed. Economics was boring as hell and while Harry always made certain to listen to his friend he really didn't understand all of it. Most went straight over his head.  
Harry was obviously the most secretive of the bunch. His greatest success this year had been to convince his friends to drop the tailing 'a' from his 'official' Asari name. He now only responded to Harry which reinforced 'her' tomboyish image.  
Sometimes he thought his whole life was a lie. After all he was a boy pretending to be a girl acting like a boy. The guys with the nice white self-hugging vests came for less deserving people.

Then there was skyball. After much badgering, a year ago he finally had convinced Liara that he was ready and that it was logistically possible for him to play in the junior league without being discovered. A grin spread across his face when he remembered the last game of the season just two weeks ago.  
He had been hailed as a prodigy almost from the start. His uncanny skill with his biotics which gave him almost absolute control of the ball coupled with his natural instinct for flying made him almost untouchable on the field. Already a few talent scouts had expressed interest in him, not that anything would ever come from that. Pity. He would have enjoyed being a professional skyball player, at least for a short time.  
However he had other plans. In the long run he wanted to return to Earth and guide his people to the stars. He had no illusions that it wouldn't happen any time soon or even during his lifetime, but he could set things in motion. Both Liara and Benezia were very supportive of the idea but as Asari were wont to do cautioned patience. In the meantime he tried to learn as much as he could about the sciences, although he was not really one for theory, being more practically inclined. Still he was no slouch and his knowledge did not only help him build new and exciting things but would come in handy later.  
He also wanted to explore the galaxy but as he grew older it would become much harder to disguise himself as Asari. Maybe his mysterious powers might help... After all if he was able to transform Batarians into pigs, why couldn't he transform himself into an Asari? That way he might actually be able to visit the Citadel!

"What's got you grinning like a loon?" a gruff voice brought him out of his wool-gathering. He hadn't noticed that the priestess from before sat on the same table or had joined him recently.  
Harry was no fool. He knew about many of the things going on around him in the T'Soni household he wasn't explicitly told. He was a bit hurt by the mistrust he was shown but he had also realized Asari only did things with knowing all the details or at the last moment action is needed. Besides, while Liara might be more direct in her questions, from what he had gathered Benezia had told her little more.  
Understandably he was wary of the stranger, especially considering all that had happened in the shrine. But skyball seemed innocent enough. No reason not to brag a bit.

"Just reliving the last game from two weeks ago. I'm playing in the local league and both the Dobhars and the Pesidis have asked me to join their youth camp," he told her, still grinning. Although he was pleased that both teams had noticed him, he couldn't help but take a stab against the mortal enemy. "Obviously I'm not going to play for the _Pesidis_... I mean... Urk..."

"Obviously. Especially considering the Pesidis only take Asari," Aethyta dropped the first bombshell, leaving Harry spluttering and she was swift to deliver the fatal blow. "Too bad for them, but how could they have known Humans were so bloody good at skyball..."

Harry continued to open and close his mouth like a fish, mirroring Liara's earlier reaction to the same woman. He had been coached if ever his secret came out but all scenarios he had prepared for counted on the other to be surprised. To be so casually unmasked left him out of his depth – especially considering his opponent was a centuries old Matriarch.

"Relax, I'm not going to tell anyone. And close your mouth, something might fly in," Aethyta said chuckling. With a snap, Harry closed his mouth. "I guess you are curious how I found out? I can tell you it wasn't from Liara. Just had to know where to look for. Liara returning from an expedition from a previously unknown inhabited world and suddenly there is a child living in the T'Soni Family quarters? Might have been she had a closer encounter than the Matriarchy had authorized but the child was too old for that. Besides Liara wouldn't be that irresponsible.  
"Then Benezia hires the foremost expert on biotic-amp development for a secret project. And a year later the child shows biotic powers. Now I'm all in favour for giving one's child the best start possible, but experimental tech? That's just stupid, unless there's no other way.  
"Then that whole business with Medes... Don't know the details, but for Benezia sealing all information on a whole planet?  
"Wasn't difficult to connect the dots. Besides I could tell tonight you aren't Asari. Can't pin it to one thing, but it was there."

The Asari nursed her drink, grinning mischievously and quite pleased with herself. Harry was still speechless. How was he supposed to react?

"What do you want from me?" he finally managed to ask, afraid of the answer. "Is this some political ploy? And just who are you?"

"Anything else you want to know? The colour of Athame's favourite knickers perhaps? Personally I think she didn't wear any, but that's just me," Aethyta said with a wink. "But let's see... What I want, or rather _wanted_ is to meet you. Whatever is going on here, you are the reason for it.  
"And no, this isn't some political ploy. I gave up on politics almost a century ago. Nowadays I just mind my bar in Serrice. Actually got plans to pack up and move to Illium. It's too stuffy here on Thessia. But I've got a _vested interest_ in the T'Sonis and since you are close to them I made it my business to take an interest in _you_.  
"As to who I am... If I were the betting kind, and believe me I am, I would bet you will find out later tonight," Aethyta said with a smirk. Just in that moment Benezia stood from her place on the head table to thank everyone for coming. With that the ball was officially over, although some would take up to an hour to actually leave. Apparently Aethyta was eager to get going as she stood and made to leave.

"That's my cue kiddo. Might be we see each other sometime," she said in passing but then stopped for a moment next to the still dumbstruck Human boy. Then she did something unexpected. Laying one hand on his head in blessing she initiated an old form of meld to convey emotions. In ages past this type of meld had supplemented or outright replaced the Asari's body language but it had fallen out of use, partly because it worked only between two people and was useless in groups, and partly because while it came naturally between two Asari it was more difficult for them to use it with other species.  
It was still used during love-making and survived in the ancient custom to touch each other while speaking as well as the lesser blessing rituals like the one Aethyta performed. Using the link she sent reassurance and confidence to ease the boy's confused state somewhat.

"Athame's blessing with you, child," she said, stepping away again. "If I don't miss my guess you will need all the confidence you can get. Give Liara and Benezia my best when you see them later."

Harry, still caught out of balance, could only watch as the strange Asari walked away from his table and left the hall.

* * *

_Saturday, 22 June 1991  
0:03  
T'Soni Tower, Benzia's Study_

The last guests had left barely half an hour ago. Liara had become impatient near the end and it was only thanks to the extensive training she had received since she was a child that she remained polite when the last guest, a distant cousin – and a rather drunk one at that – just wouldn't take the hint and leave.

Now Benezia was finally ready to give her some answers. Harry had tagged along although it was obvious he was barely keeping awake. But this was as much about him as it was about her, if the hints Benezia had dropped over the last years and her own observations were to be believed. Also she had seen him talking to the priestess and receiving her blessing. It only made things even more weird.

Liara permitted herself to admire her mother's study. If she had to chose, this was her favourite room in the whole complex. It looked like taken out from a history documentary and she wouldn't be surprised if there had been actual documentaries filmed in it.  
The furniture was mostly wood and some stone, a stark contrast to the usual metal, plastic and composite materials favoured by modern interior design. There was also an ancient bookcase filled with old tomes, a rare sight outside museums and universities.  
The most intriguing part was the fireplace which was actually working and currently in use. Benezia only had a fire lit on special occasions as wood was not readily available, at least just to burn it. Apparently today qualified as a special occasion.

They settled down in front of the fire, Benezia in her big armchair, Liara in the slightly smaller one facing hers and Harry sitting on the floor, back rested against Liara's feet. As soon as they were seated Benezia extended her arm towards the liquor cabinet and three glasses and a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy floated towards her. She filled the three glasses – just a tiny swallow for Harry, barely enough to wet his tongue – and sent them on to their recipients.

"I have to apologize Liara, had I known Aethyta would be the priestess today, I would have told you everything long ago," Benezia said after taking a hefty gulp of her drink. "The reason why I couldn't tell you is that the ritual you should have underwent today is designed to search your memory for specific triggers. Had the priestess found any of them in your mind the temple would have done anything to take you away, probably lock you up, or at least interfere at every turn of your life.  
"Not performing the ritual would have arisen suspicion so I thought it best to simply wait it out."

"Very well, I guess I can understand that," Liara said during the short pause her mother made. "And I kind of guessed already. But the priestess today didn't invade my memories at all! That's what I don't understand. I thought the T'Diu and the T'Sonis are enemies, so why would she initiate a Soul Meld?"

"Tell me Liara, have I ever said a bad word about the T'Diu to you? Or outside the political arena?" Benezia asked and after a moment received a shake of the head as answer. "It is true that our families are ancient enemies but that stopped when Aethyta and myself became the respective Matriarchs of our families. Sure we still play the part in public but that is for the benefit of the sheep.  
"Let me explain. When I was a child it was custom to send the children of well-to-do families to the temple of Athame for a couple of years to be trained as acolytes. And like all my peers I was sent there after turning twenty, as was Aethyta T'Diu. It was actually the first time since the beginning of the information age that both a T'Soni and a T'Diu were novices at the same time.  
"At the beginning we clashed quite frequently, I'm sad to say. We were both natural leaders, not only because of our families, but because we have the spark needed to change things and naturally we acquired followers. I won't bore you with the petty squabbles we engaged in, suffice to say during our first year we were pressed into a situation where we had to properly talk to each other. And we found we actually liked each other.  
"Over the years turning into centuries our friendship grew stronger and stronger, despite the fact we kept it secret because we knew it would benefit us in later years. And it did! I couldn't have done half the political changes without the help of Aethyta. We played the old alliances for fools!  
"For over half a millennium the only people we told were Aethyta's children after they became of age and now you two."

"Devious," commented Harry with a chuckle and an appreciative nod. Liara however was shocked. She once again had underestimated her mother.

"A little over a century ago Aethyta's bondmate died. Her eldest and youngest daughter had both lives of their own, the eldest making a name for herself in politics while the youngest was a rising star in neuroscience and biotic-amp development..."

"Wait! Skui? Skui is a T'Diu?" Liara exclaimed in shock.

"Well, yes, but she is also more than that. I will come to that in a minute," Benezia said. "Anyway, Aethyta was devastated and found she had no patience left for politics. So she delegated all of her responsibilities to her eldest daughter and opened a bar of all things.  
"I wanted to help my friend and convinced her to go on a vacation together. Somewhere we weren't known and could just be ourselves.  
"During our year away from everything – I sold my sabbatical as a religious pilgrimage – we developed... deeper feelings for each other. Romantic feelings that ultimately led to you.  
"Yes, Aethyta T'Diu is your father and Tuisku is you half-sister, not that she knows that little fact."

The shocked silence that followed was only broken by the occasional snap coming from the fire or the rustling of fabric when Benezia took another sip from her drink. Liara was beyond shock now. Harry on the other hand looked like suddenly a couple of things made sense. However when he turned back towards Liara and saw her anguished face his expression became troubled.

"Why? Why are you telling me this now?" Liara felt betrayed. All those years she had suspected her father was a painful memory because she was dead or had left Benezia. But this... "Have you decided I was a mistake? A..."

"No Little Wing!" Benezia interrupted. "We never thought you were a mistake! Were circumstances different we would have spit in the face of tradition and would have bonded and raised you in a proper family. In fact Aethyta and I still are bonded although it is not registered. Only Lellwelya, Aethyta's eldest, knows because she officiated.  
"And it has to stay that way! Maybe we will tell Tuisku, but this absolutely has to stay a secret."

"But why mother? Why..." Liara had tears in her eyes and choked on her words. She was angry and hurt. Harry did the only thing he could think of and climbed into her lap and hugged her. For all the time she had comforted him, this was the chance to pay her back a little.

"When we were still novices, Aethyta and I used to get into much trouble. Well, we would have gotten into trouble if we were ever caught," Benezia drifted off, lost in memories. Then she saw the mildly shocked expression on Harry's face. "Oh don't look so surprised Harry. I was young once, you know. And quite the prankster I'll have you know.  
"Anyway, one day we explored the deeper levels of the temple and there we found a very curious hall. Tell me Liara, what is Athame the deity of?"

"Fate and prophecy, but..."

"Exactly Little Wing," Benezia interrupted, getting excited about the subject. "Fate and Prophecy, yet neither fate nor prophecy are really prominent in the religious doctrine.  
"The hall we found is called the Hall of Prophecy and it is filled with hundreds of thousands of genuine prophecies. It is one of the best kept secrets in the galaxy and even I would not know of it, if Aethyta and I didn't go exploring. Prophecies is one of the triggers priestesses look for during the coming-of-age-ritual, although they generally don't know why they search for it.  
"Over the years we have slowly pieced together part of the truth. For some reason prophecies are feared by the leaders of the Athame Doctrine and they will stop at almost nothing to interfere with the lives of those that are named in a prophecy.  
"Anyway, fascinated with the shelves of scrolls, Aethyta and I started reading some. We had a good laugh at some of them until we found one particular scroll, laid out in the middle in a protective glass showcase. It was ancient, probably pre-dating almost anything. We couldn't read it, the dialect was just too old, but there was an annotated translation nearby. That prophecy was different from the rest but don't ask me why I feel that way.  
"Over the centuries we all but forgot about that particular prophecy, until while I was pregnant with you Aethyta said something to remind me of it and filled me with dread. You see, that prophecy could very well refer to _you_, Little Wing.  
"To tell you the truth I didn't care much about the content of the prophecy. From what I studied in secret, prophecies are only worth something as a starting point and a very rough guide. They don't guarantee a specific outcome or impede free will. If those named in the prophecy want to walk away from it, they are perfectly capable of doing so.  
"However things changed when you rescued young Harry here. Although I don't understand the prophecy in it's entirety, I believe Harry is also named in it which justifies my fears."

"But... But... How can that be?" Liara sputtered. Prophecies were well known to her as an archaeologist. Many cultures she had studied had had them, however they were usually a sign of a pre-information-age culture. Humanity still retained some belief in them but it was a fringe-belief, not really taken seriously by most. "And just what does that prophecy say?"

"I guess it's best to just tell you," Benezia said after a moment's contemplation. "But remember, neither of you is bound by the prophecy. Also since I can only give you a rough translation the meaning might be different from what is apparent.  
"The prophecy says..."

But before Benezia could tell them, the room was filled with a strange, soothing music coming out of nowhere. The intense feelings that gripped all three only seconds ago were washed away by the song both Liara and Harry were eerily familiar with, although neither had ever heard anything quite like it.

Suddenly a tiny flame appeared between the two armchairs, growing larger and larger by the second until it was almost a meter high. With an intense white flash that curiously didn't hurt the eye the spinning figure of a bird with long tail feathers materialized in the middle of the flame which died down slowly. The bird circled the room, gliding elegantly on outstretched wings. The three spectators could only stare in amazed wonder.  
The bird's plumage was a deep red and gold and even Benezia had never seen a bird similar or even half as regal. Yet like the song, despite never having seen any of it's species, they could all have sworn to have seen a similar bird somewhere. Harry was the first to guess correctly. "He looks like the bird in the cave on Medes!"

Finally the bird landed on one of the armrests of the chair occupied by both Liara and Harry. With a last tweet it stretched out one of his legs to which a yellowish envelope was tied by a piece of string. The envelope appeared to by quite thick and heavy and made out of archaic parchment instead of paper which itself was already quite rare. Both Harry and Liara were able to read Harry's name in green ink written on the front of the letter.

Just as Harry had extended his hand halfway towards the bird to take the letter, letters flashed into being beneath his name. The full address read:

_Mr. Harry Potter  
The Matriarch's Study  
T'Soni Complex  
Armali  
Thessia_

Hands suddenly trembling Harry fumbled with the string to untie the envelope. As soon as he was done, the bird hopped from the armrest and flew onto the mantelpiece and started to preen itself but never quite stopping observing them.

Hands still trembling, Harry turned the letter around. Benezia rose shakily and moved to read over her children's shoulders.

The envelope was sealed with purple wax, a coat of arms pressed into it: a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'.  
Fumbling Harry broke the seal. Inside the envelope were three sheets of parchment. He grabbed one at random.  
Despite being handwritten it appeared to be a form letter, something sent out virtually unchanged to dozens if not hundreds of people at the same time. The other two were a list of some sort and a more personal letter.  
Unfolding the first fully he read:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)_

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress_

"Well, fuck me sideways," came Benezia's awed voice from behind the armchair. It wasn't often that a Matriarch experienced something completely new.

"Mother!"

"What? You should hear your father swear! Tya can make a Krogan blush!"

Harry meanwhile could only stare at the letter in his hands. That was it. The secret of his powers. He was a wizard, just like Gandalf, and there were apparently others like him. His life just got a lot stranger.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** The Hogwarts letter is quoted verbatim from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Not mine, obviously.

Sorry for the semi-cliffhanger.

**Codex:**

_The Laloe: _A traditional Asari instrument, similar to the Human cello insofar that it rests on a pin, has a couple of strings and is played with a bow. The details are different of course. The body shape is different, as is the length of the neck. The bow is curved, allowing for a different style of play and a different sound altogether. The range is higher than a cello's, similar to the guitar. The strings were traditionally made of a certain type of algae and not gut but were replaced by metal strings ages ago.

_The Four Types of Asari Melds:_  
The Emotion Meld – the partners feel each other's emotions and abstract feelings. A skilled Asari can also project feelings and emotions she doesn't actually feel at the moment. This is the shallowest of melds that can be triggered accidentally and the eyes don't turn black. Before the information age almost ubiquitous, it has since then fallen out of use as a separate practice except in very formal settings like tea ceremonies and blessing rituals. Most often it is used in conjuncture with the Body Meld during sex.  
The Mind Meld – The partners share memories over the link. Usually it is one-way and the memory plays out like it is remembered. Experienced Asari may influence the memory by either 'stopping' it to better analyse some minute detail or even fabricate a false memory.  
The Body Meld – Used mostly during sex but has also some medical applications. Both partners physically feel everything the other feels as an echo.  
The Soul Meld – The most difficult and arguably the most rewarding meld. It is different from the other three as there is no quantifiable information passed through the link. For the duration of the meld the two partners become one. This does not mean that the Soul Meld is a combination of the three others instead it acts on a more fundamental level. Only the most basic feelings are exchanged and no memories or 'thought speech'. The body doesn't factor in at all. After the meld the two partners have a better understanding of each other and some traits learned from experience might be passed on. Asari philosopher, doctors and priestesses have tried for millennia to give a satisfying answer _what_ exactly the Soul Meld is but have thus far been unsuccessful. It is considered the most intimate thing two people can engage in but usually isn't associated with sex even though it is part of the Asari reproduction.

_Asari Facial-Markings:_ Are more then just an aesthetic expression but a tradition. Asari get their first tattoos when turning of age and subsequently add to them whenever they feel they have accomplished something personally important. Most often they are self-designed but there are professionals for hire as well. Some old families own specific designs that may not be used without permission.

_Hogwarts Curriculum:  
Defence against the Dark Arts:  
_First year – simple jinxes (body bind, tripping jinx,...), oaths and contracts (short: don't; unless you know exactly what the oath does)  
Second year – Shields, magical pests  
Third year – Dark creatures, basic spells (stunner, reducto, basic privacy spells,...)  
Fourth year – Curse theory, how to react in a fight  
Fifth year – Basic detection (enchantments, curses, wards, potions/poisons...), Field Healing (Bone knitting, wound closing, stabilizing spells,...)  
Sixth year – Wards (design, types,...), Advanced detection  
Seventh year - Introduction to Curse- and Wardbreaking, Advanced Counterspells

_Transfiguration:_  
First year – Inanimate to inanimate  
Second year – Animate to inanimate  
Third year – Inanimate to animate  
Fourth year: Animate to Animate  
Fifth year – Custom Transfiguration (how to influence how the final product looks like, generalized spells)  
Sixth year – Human transfiguration  
Seventh year – Transmutation (changing one material permanently to another), Permanent inanimate transfiguration

* * *

**AN:** Just so we are clear: I won't bash in this story. Well not much anyway. If Ginevra acts like a fangirl/stalker, it's because at that point in time she IS. Obviously sometime in the future she will have to work things out but until that time she will always crush on Harry. I don't want to make her dislikeable. I don't have anything against the character. What vexes me is that for five books she is an almost non-entity and suddenly Harry is head over heels for her.  
It isn't that it is unlikely! There could be plenty of off-screen interaction that could have ignited those feelings, but that's the point. Everything was off-screen! That's no way to establish a romance!  
But enough ranting. Let's just say for a tale fundamentally about love, the romance in 'Harry Potter' is seriously effed up.

I believe I've done something that hasn't been done before in fanfiction. I made Hermione part of the muggle nobility. Sort of. The Grangers are part of the gentry, not the peerage, to be precise, owning a hereditary knighthood. The elder Grangers won't play a big role in this story though. I didn't want to do the 'loving and doting parents' routine with the father called Daniel and the mother called Emma as I agree with JKR: Hermione's parents don't contribute to the story except to show what she had to sacrifice to help Harry. Generally speaking they are boring. So far I've seen only a handful of fics where this is not the case even among those that gave them much bigger roles to play.  
By the way, there are a couple of obscure references hidden in there. Some are easy to spot, others are not. They might also be considered foreshadowing. Extra brownie points if you do spot them.

To my guest reviewer who asked about how Liara could take on those ten mercenaries:  
Most standard units in ME are cannon fodder. Same is true for this fic. Some noname mercs won't be much of a problem as long as Liara has the drop on them, even if they have superior numbers. Like in the game she would whittle them down one by one, taking cover all the while. True, in this fic she isn't yet the powerhouse she is in the game. (At least in my opinion she is one of the strongest companions because of her flexibility. No, not _that_ kind of flexibility. Get your mind out of the gutter!)  
Liara is Powerful with a capital 'P'. She is a biotic prodigy, even compared to her mother (in this fic at least). Also, consider who her stand-in in ME2 is: Samara. A centuries old hardened warrior goddess that single-handedly beat the Eclipse base on Illium into submission. Justicars are feared for a reason! And don't get me started on the other pure biotc in the series: Jack. She is woken from cryosleep, completely unarmed and goes on a shipwrecking rampage the moment she opens her eyes. Have you seen the destruction she caused in her recruit mission? Those and Adept Shepard are the people Liara should be compared to.  
And remember: every companion in ME is a certified badass and has been from the moment you meet them. Well, except for Alenko and Jacob. They are woobies but I digress. (Hatemail can be deposited inside the conveniently placed furnace over there. Thank you.)  
Last but not least, in this fic she has over half a century's worth in simulated combat experience. Sure, she is no Commando but her mother made sure she knows how to defend herself. Plus she now packs an extra heavy punch thanks to the extra training she has received alongside Harry.


	7. Plans and the First Prophecy

**AN:** Thanks to all who took the time to review and/or send a PM! Special thanks to my two betas Reddiffi and Ourania Aella!  
**Minirant most of you can ignore:** I appreciate criticism as long as it is presented in an inoffensive manner. I cringe when someone makes what I consider a basic mistake, just like you. But if you spot such an error is it too much to ask to point it out without using capslock and derisive language? I assure you I read every review and take them to heart, regardless of length, so even a quick loose =/= lose would suffice. If you want to abuse me or my work, please at least have the balls to actually log in. Future reviews that consists only of aforementioned anonymous, destructive 'criticism' will be deleted. That being said I will try to avoid that particular pitfall in the future. Oh and by the way: Losing your cool over two letters in 60k words that could have been honest mistypes? Seriously?  
Sorry, had to get that off my chest.

I've **changed the last paragraph of the last chapter**. **It was too whiny**. For your convenience it is included in this one. Also serves as a quick reminder where we left off.  
By now Harry has mostly dealt with his demons and will be rather well adjusted compared to canon!Harry. Sure there are two prophecies, not to mention a Dark Lord and some cuttlefish, looming on the horizon but the knowledge that he can walk away anytime he wants will balance it out. Well not from the cuttlefish, but that's a different story and nobody knows about them yet.

Also, I decided to up the rating of this fic **from T to M**. It won't be justified for a long time (probably Fifth or Sixth year) but I rather do it now than later. At the same time I've changed the story's summary. Since I'm atrocious in writing them, what do you think about this new one? Any suggestions?

**A warning:** I consider everything in the books canon and keep to it as much as possible, but I'll disregard things said in interviews and such. Everything else is fair game, so I will go left of canon when it suits me and/or the story. I'm just trying to make some sense out of the backstory. For example, a population of less than 5000 people is _not_ viable, especially when it's decimated every couple of years by the newest Dark Lord! I think there will be between 100.000 and 500.000 witches, wizards and squibs in the British Isles. That makes additional schools necessary.

**Last time:** Cleaning up on Medes, short visits with Hermione, Ginny and Luna, Liara's coming of age, and Fawkes' and a certain letter's entrance.  
**This time:** Dumbledore's letter, the Asari Prophecy, plans and yet another letter.  
Be aware that Dumbledore has written the letter with a probably confused, eleven year old boy in mind and that he is not certain what he should and should not reveal.

* * *

"Well, fuck me sideways," came Benezia's awed voice from behind the armchair. It wasn't often that a Matriarch experienced something completely new.

"Mother!"

"What? You should hear your father swear! Tya can make a Krogan blush!"

Harry meanwhile could only stare at the letter in his hands. That was it. The secret of his powers. He was a wizard, just like Gandalf, and there were apparently others like him. His life just got a lot stranger.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Plans and The First Prophecy**

_Saturday, 22 June 1991  
0:47  
T'Soni Tower, Benezia's Study_

It took some time for the three to regain their wits. Harry reread the letter twice, daring it to change or make more sense, because if he hadn't seen the bird's arrival with his own eyes he would have bet this was a prank.

"Harry? There's another letter here that might have more information," Liara's tentative voice penetrated through his confusion. Still dazed he set the first letter aside and opened the offered parchment, or rather three folded together.

_Dear Harry,_

_I hope this letter finds you well, wherever you are.  
If you read this letter, then the ritual has been a success and Fawkes has found you. As I do not know where you are and if he can return of his own power, please take care of him in my absence. It is not his fault that he has been drawn into this. He is a most loyal and clever companion and I'm sure you will come to appreciate him just as much as I do._

_Now, I can imagine you have many questions, depending on where and with whom you are. I am aware that a simple letter will not suffice to answer all of them, but I hope to convince you to acquiesce to a proper meeting. But I'm getting ahead of things._

_Forgive an old man's ramblings if the things I tell you in this letter are already known to you. The last time I saw you I left you on the doorstep of your Aunt's home, an act that I deeply regret now and you have my heartfelt apologies.  
But let us not dwell on that. By now you have certainly noticed strange things happening around you, the latest was probably Fawkes' entrance. He always was a bit of a show-off. The truth that has been kept from you is that you are a wizard. Like your parents and your paternal grandparents before you, you can do magic.  
Wizards and witches live in secret from non-magical people (called muggles) and rarely interact with them, except when one of them is born as a wizard or witch, like your mother was.  
This is as much for their protection as for ours. The muggles have their wars and we have our own. The last war in our world was fought against an evil Dark Lord who called himself Lord Voldemort, although most even feared to say his name. I know this sounds like a fairy tale but it is nevertheless the truth. Where do you think most fairy tales begin?_

_Your parents were part of the resistance as was I, defying him many times and thus gaining his unenviable attention. Despite our best efforts the war was going badly for our side. There are many reasons for this; too many to explain properly in this letter. People were afraid to stand up for themselves and the government was hampered from within.  
When you came along your parents went into hiding, as fighting and raising a child do not go well with each other. However in the end Voldemort found you and your family on Halloween in 1981 and killed your parents, despite the best protections we could think of. I am sorry, Harry, for your loss. I knew your parents well and liked them very much. They were some of the best people I've ever known.  
However when Voldemort tried to kill you, his curse rebounded back and destroyed him in the process. Voldemort was simply gone after over a decade of fighting. It was a time of great rejoicing but I can hear you asking, why have I put you with your muggle relatives?  
Firstly, while Voldemort was gone, his now leaderless followers were still around. In fact, another family was attacked barely a week later. It was my hope you would not be found in the muggle-world, as I can assure you they did try to find you.  
Secondly, you were heralded as the Boy-Who-Lived and many people sought to use you for their own gains. As we are still not sure who was a follower of Voldemort or his ideology, I could not guarantee that you would not end up with them and live your life as you pleased. If anything this last war has shown us to be careful whom to trust.  
Thirdly, the circumstances of that Halloween allowed me to create a special protection for you, as long as you stayed with a blood-relative of your mother's. As long as you could call your Aunt's place home you were protected from Voldemort and anyone who followed him._

_Had I known what awaited you at your relatives place I would have sought a different solution but at the time I did what I thought best. I only realized what a big mistake I had made when I visited your old home after you vanished four years ago and can now only beg for your forgiveness._

_It is my fondest wish, that you return to the world, the magical world, that is your birthright. At Hogwarts, the school your parents went to and where you have had a place since the day you were born, we can teach you how to hone your magic into the wonderful gift it is._

_If you are agreeable, I would like you to meet an old friend of your parent's called Remus Lupin. He and a representative of Hogwarts will be ready to meet you whenever and wherever you wish and answer all your remaining questions. Just tie a note with the time and location to Fawkes' leg and he will return to me as long as he is somewhere in Britain not protected._

_I am yours sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore,_

_Hogwarts on the 21st of June, 1991_

"Well this explains... nothing at all," was Benezia's verdict. Meanwhile Harry opened the last parchment which turned out to be a list of all sorts of required items.  
It was pretty straightforward and what would be expected from wizards in training. A school uniform consisting of robes, cloak and a pointy hat, books on spells and potions, a wand and a cauldron. Other things, like the telescope and the protective gloves made of dragon hide didn't make immediate sense, but Harry guessed they weren't that outlandish. He was also allowed to bring an owl, cat or toad but not a broomstick.  
_Who would want a toad? And why an owl? And broomsticks? Seriously? And what's with the names? Bagshot? Waffling? A Transfiguration guide by someone named Switch? Well Spore, Arsenius and Newt fit right in then. Don't know if I want to learn to defend myself from someone called 'Trimble'... Wait a minute! Dragon hide? What? Dragons are real? They can't be! I mean, they are supposed to be bloody huge! Too big to hide, for sure! And the mural on Medes..._

"This is... unexpected," Liara said lamely.

"Understatement of the millenium, Little Wing. It's like calling the Krogan Rebellions a minor misunderstanding," Benezia muttered, rather undignified. A couple of years ago Liara would have been scandalized by her mothers casual attitude. Now she appreciated the trust she was given by their newfound intimacy which allowed Benezia to let her figurative hair down.  
They continued to bicker back and forth, going over the details in the letter from Dumbledore.

Harry took no notice of their discussion. He just stared at Fawkes with big eyes, having made the connection just where he had seen such a bird before: In a hidden cave beneath a _Prothean_ facility some twenty _thousand_ lightyears from Earth.  
The vastness of space still boggled Harry's mind, but it was almost nothing compared to the passing of time. The _Alexandria_ could travel from Earth to Medes in a little under a week, but it takes the light of Earth's sun almost twice as long as Human civilizations existed to travel the same distance. And even those twenty thousand years were nothing compared to the millions of years the mural had been hidden under the ruins of a much younger civilization.  
And yet here was Fawkes, a living, breathing carbon-copy of the same bird depicted in the mural. _Just what the hell are you?_

"Liara..." Harry asked weakly.

"Well. Yes. But don't you think your nonchalance is a bit much?" Liara replied to her mother's last comment, ignoring Harry.

"Liara..." Harry tried again.

"What is it, Harry?" Benezia finally reacted to him, having grown tired from the little verbal jousting with her daughter and glad for the distraction. As much as she enjoyed ribbing Liara from time to time, the situation was serious.

"Umm... Is it just me or does Fawkes look familiar?" Harry said. "As in, we have seen something like him before. On Medes. In that cave?"

All three of them now stared at the bird still perched on the mantlepiece who now stared back at them, head slightly cocked and giving a questioning trill.

"Goddess! How could we have not seen it?" Liara exclaimed. Fawkes began shifting around nervously and once again trilled questioningly.

"Dunno, but after my list mentioned _dragon_ hide gloves as if they were commonplace animals on Earth... it wasn't difficult to make the connection afterwards," Harry responded. "Umm... do you think Fawkes is like the mural?"

That prompted another round of staring and more nervous shuffles, this time from all present.

"I don't know Harry," Benezia said slowly as she moved towards the bird. "But we can find out."

"No mother! You mustn't!" Liara exclaimed and grabbed Benezia's arm. "What if he isn't intelligent enough? You could lose yourself!"

"Oh hush, Little Wing," Benezia tried to placate her daughter but she had stopped for now. "A strong enough mind is in no danger. Besides with you here you could intervene fast enough to guide me back again."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Mother wants to meld with Fawkes and see if he is intelligent or not," Liara explained. "If he is, she would be able to see some of his memories but if he is not, she is at risk of losing herself in the animalistic brain. It is very dangerous.  
"That's why _I_ will try it."

"Liara..."

"No mother," Liara interrupted her mother. "You are right. It _is_ important to know and this is the easiest, foolproof way to do it. But if something happens it's better it happens to me as you could better help me. Also I have experienced the mural whereas you have not. And you always said I was too stubborn for my own good."

Benezia, who had tensed when Liara had proclaimed her intent, let her shoulders slump in defeat. She knew her daughter's stubborn streak all too well. It certainly didn't help that her argument was logical. She moved out of the way.

Liara extracted herself from under Harry and approached the bird who followed her with curious eyes. "Hello Fawkes. Don't be afraid. All I want is to know you a little better. Would you show me a memory of yours? It can be anything you like. I promise it won't hurt."

Fawkes shrugged his shoulders - a very odd movement for a bird - as if in consent. They hadn't expected that, especially since she spoke Asari. Why would he understand Asari? It almost decided the issue but Liara still put her hand on Fawkes' head as if to pet him and initiated the meld.

It was over after little more than a minute. Liara stumbled a bit but otherwise seemed fine and waved her mother off.

"Well, that was different," she finally said.

"How so?" "Why?" Benezia and Harry asked at the same time.

"Harry, remember how the mind meld feels? How you experienced my memory from my point of view? Seeing through my eyes, hearing with my ears and feeling my emotions? Just as if you were me?" she asked Harry and received a hesitant nod. "While there is no doubt Fawkes is intelligent, the meld with him was... unusual," she paused after this and began pacing. "It makes no sense! The meld doesn't work that way!"

Taking a few calming breaths to recover from her outburst she continued. "I was in a large circular room. A study of sorts I believe. There was a huge wooden desk, many books on shelves and a fireplace similar to ours here but more ornate.  
"There were a couple of desks at the side with a lot of silvery things, instruments so outlandish I can't even guess their use. A few emitted smoke and made strange noises. In the centre stood a big, claw-footed, wooden desk. On the wall hung portraits of some people sleeping. I mean you could see their chests falling and rising. A couple even snored! If you animate portraits why would you capture them sleeping? It's crazy!  
"But what was really strange was that I was there in my own body! I could move around freely, like I was there! I went to the window and could look out over the grounds below even though Fawkes here was sitting on a golden perch on the other side of the room! Outside I could see that we were in a tower of a giant, medieval castle, easily the biggest I've seen on Earth, surrounded by woods and at the shore of a lake.  
"And it was definitely Earth because there was an old Human man sitting behind the table. He had the longest white hair I've ever seen and was wearing a robe and pointed hat in so many shades of different colours I can't even begin to list them all.  
"He was writing the second letter - I could look over his shoulder! - so it was probably Albus Dumbledore. He seemed sad but hopeful at the same time."

"Hmm... This complicates things," Benezia said after some time.

"Mother... No doubt Fawkes is intelligent," Liara countered. "But. I don't think he is going to tell anyone. His mind feels... different. I know the meld shouldn't give me any insight, but I feel he is trustworthy. He will keep our secrets."

"Liara, you can't possibly know that!" Benezia answered aghast. "We can't expose ourselves to the Humans!"

"Even if Dumbledore or whoever extracts our secret from Fawkes - which is far from certain - we wouldn't. Expose our secrets to the whole of Humanity, that is," Liara continued after checking something on her omni-tool. "There is obviously a second, completely hidden society on Earth and _they_ have the ability to send _live birds_ several thousands of lightyears across the galaxy in less than a day! Without using the Relays!  
"We can't afford to ignore such a culture! And they are obviously used to keep secrets from the rest."

"Still..."

"Why not ask Fawkes directly?" Harry interjected. "Hey Fawkes! You going to tell on us?"

To their astonishment the bird shook his head emphatically.

"That's... good... I guess," Harry finally managed to say. "So our secret is safe with you?"

Vigorous nodding.

"Okay then," Harry was fast to accept it this time. "Can I go? I mean, it's great here and all, and I don't want to necessarily stay there, but learning to do magic? Hell yes!  
"Please? At least to hear what they have to say?"

"We will speak about it tomorrow," Benezia said. As Harry opened his mouth to further argue his point, she cut across him. "I'm not entirely opposed to the idea. But we need to properly plan your stay there. Remember, we don't rush into a situation without a decent plan."

"Well, let's see," Liara said while checking the current Earth-date on her omni-tool. "The 31st of July the other letter mentioned as a deadline is still forty days away. It takes four days to travel to Earth, plus maybe another week or two to get the necessary supplies for a longer stay. That gives us three weeks to discuss and plan. We don't have to decide right away."

"Yes, but..."

"We will tackle this together Harry. If we decide that you should go to that school, I will come with you," Liara interrupted.

"And you definitely should," Benezia put in her opinion. "Frankly I'm a bit disturbed that there is an entire society living in secrecy. That doesn't bode well; wizards and witches remind me too much of biotics. And every society had their problems integrating biotics, but what if they had a society of their own?  
"Now, it's time for bed Harry. It has been a long, exciting day, especially with all the revelations."

"Not so fast, mother," Liara said while Harry grumbled. "You still have to tell us the prophecy. Don't think I've forgotten or that I would wait until tomorrow."

Benezia sighed in exasperation. "No I guess not. Very well," She grew pensive for a moment.  
"Prophecies, from what little I could discern from the limited information your father and I could accumulate over the years, are somewhat valid. However, even the most stringent that predict only one or two outcomes can be overcome. The future has not been written. There is no fate, but what we make for ourselves. Never forget that!  
"The validity of the prophecies hidden beneath the Temple of Athame is that they predict possibilities. They accurately describe starting points and give likely outcomes. How this is possible I don't know. I don't even know how those prophecies are made, if they are only a legacy from times past or if there are still new prophecies spoken and recorded.  
"The prophecy that concerns you two is a special case. It is so ancient, it was written on a slab of stone in a dialect I couldn't read at the time. Since then I have translated it, however you both know how meaning can be lost during the process. Keep that in mind."

Benezia took a fortifying breath. "The prophecy goes like this.  
"_The First Power has returned.  
Ushered in by the First Scholar,  
Born from the first union of ancient enemies,  
Liberator of the Second Scholar,  
Leader of those Left Behind.  
With the downfall of the False Goddess,  
And the rise of the Three Scholars,  
Those of the First Power will take their place once again."_

Somehow Harry and Liara felt the Matriarch's voice should grow deeper and echo like in a cave as she recited the prophecy from memory. It would have been fitting. It didn't, yet there was no denying the power of Benezia's presence. It sent shivers down both their spines.  
The words were followed by a long silence that would have been quite oppressive had Fawkes not started to sing his uplifting song once again.

"But that... that's complete gibberish!" Liara finally exclaimed. "It could mean anything!"

"Liara, prophecies aren't meant to be clear," Benezia replied serenely. "Why do you think the Temple employs a special order solely dedicated to interpret prophecies and hunt down those nominated in them?  
"Every prophecy in the hall your father and I have found is accompanied with a folder of notes - hard copies too - dedicated to possible interpretations. Some, like the one for this prophecy, span tens of thousands of years.  
"The first note to this particular prophecy had been made during the time of the Goddess herself and the last only a year before my birth. Bear in mind that I haven't seen those notes since I was an acolyte. Who knows if there are any new entries?  
"I leave it to you to figure out possible interpretations, however the important thing is that the T'Soni and T'Diu families are high contenders for the '_ancient enemies_' part and since you, Liara, are the first child born to both our families... Well, should the Temple ever figure out your ancestry they would become very interested indeed."

"But why should they care?" Harry asked, irritated and by now a bit cranky from tiredness. "Even I can tell that this prophecy is just a load of rubbish." He finished with a huge yawn.

"Quite," Benezia replied with a smile. "But haven't you listened? It doesn't matter if _we_ believe in it or if it's true. The priestesses tasked with keeping an eye out on prophesied events and persons will think it could be. Another important thing to notice is that the very first interpretation of '_false Goddess_' is the Goddess Athame herself..."

"So the Temple will be especially eager to interfere in this prophecy, " Liara caught on quickly. "Alright mother. You have given us much to think about. And you are right, it's time for bed. We are all tired and Harry is getting cranky..."

"Am not!"

"Yes you are. But what do we do with Fawkes?"

"Can I take him with me? He can sleep in my room," Harry offered. "Would you like that Fawkes?"

The bird gave a trill that sounded positive. With an elegant leap he opened his wings to glide onto Harry's shoulder. He was surprisingly light.

* * *

_Sunday, 30 June 1991 - 1 Week later  
10:16  
Trail somewhere near Oxford_

Hermione was running.

Summer term was almost over with all the exams done. Only two more weeks and she would finally leave her old school and its cretins behind. She only hoped wherever she would end up would be better. She hadn't decided yet where that would be, as a surprising number of prestigious schools were eager to have her.  
Then again her class teacher had told her - confidentially of course - that she had topped the national leader boards. So maybe it wasn't surprising after all.

She was beginning to tire even though she was only at the half point of her five kilometer circuit. Like always after a long time of being lax with her workout - the last two months were filled with revisions and exams - she had overestimated herself. Deciding she could use a breather she stopped in the shade of a nearby tree. She loved the woods and fields around her hometown.

Nearby she spotted a gravel road leading into the denser parts of the forest. Hermione knew that at the end stood a derelict manor house, its style and size not unlike her own home, but burned out and empty. She had asked her parents when the fire happened but they couldn't remember clearly. Sometime short before her birth or just after, they guessed. They had known, or rather known about the elderly couple and their two sons that had lived there but hadn't interacted very often. They had mostly kept to themselves. A fair few aristocrats were that way - Hermione certainly understood.

Feeling in an explorative mood, Hermione decided to follow the gravel road. It was bad, she rationalized, to completely stop for longer than a minute or two and then start running again, so a short walk was perfect to catch her breath.  
Coming around the last bend, she was surprised that someone had renovated the old place. It still looked ancient in style but was in perfect order. In fact, had she not known better it looked newly build. However, there was no indication anybody lived there. She stopped in her tracks.

While she felt it was okay to wander up to a burned out ruin, she didn't feel the same about a fully intact house. Even though it didn't looked inhabited, it very well could be. On the other hand there was no gate, no sign to warn her off.  
In the end curiosity won.

After much fidgeting she walked up to the manor and circled around it. A short look-see wouldn't hurt anybody, would it?

Hermione didn't actually press her face to the windows, but they were big enough that she could see a fair bit of the interior. What she saw reinforced the notion that the house was uninhabited. While it was fully furnished it missed the details, all the little signs that told anyone unequivocal that someone lived in those rooms. There was no food laying around in the kitchen or boots near the backdoor.

Her resolve not to gawk was sorely tested by the library which she could see behind floor-length windows, an architectonic feature that should have looked out of place on such an old house but didn't. The library was slightly bigger than the one in her own home, but where the Grangers' owned a mixture of old and new classics and specialized texts, this one was filled to the brim with ancient-looking tomes. She couldn't make out any titles but there were sure to be many rare treasures hidden on the shelves. Even though Hermione viewed books mostly as a means to an end - namely keeping and distributing knowledge - she had to admit the library in front of her had a certain pull on her that had nothing to do with the information stored in it.  
Reluctantly she unrooted herself from the spot a foot from the library's windows where she most certainly did not gawk and finished her circuit and continued her run.

She couldn't help but wonder who would move into the manor.

* * *

An hour later someone rang the bell at her home. Hermione was just out of the shower and on her way to the kitchen for a second glass of juice after her run. Guessing her parents had invited some of their friends for lunch she went to open the door, not caring about her comfy attire. It was a sunny Sunday at the end of June - whoever expected her to be formally dressed in her own home was just barmy.

At the other side of the door stood the oddest pair she had ever seen.  
The young man barely classified as such. If he was older than twenty, Hermione would change her name to Puk. He had the most arrogant, pompous sneer on his face, some of the more repulsive of her father's associates - not even he would call them friends - would go green from envy over.  
By contrast the woman was probably at least sixty. Her poise screamed strict-but-fair governess. Her hair was done up in a severe bun, half hidden beneath - of all things - a pointy hat any witch would be proud of.  
Both were dressed in robes, similar to what a judge would wear.

Before anyone could say anything her parents stepped out from the library to see who was at the door.

"Yes? Can we help you?" Gaius Granger asked, tone and posture slightly defensive like always when he was confused, which didn't happen all that often.

"Are you Mr. Granger?" the boy asked with his sneer still in place, his voice dripping with contempt. Gaius' defensive body language vanished immediately. "We are here to _inform_ you and your mud..."

He didn't come any further as both Hermione's father and the old woman half a step behind the young man cried out in outrage.

"Mister Avery!"

"Now listen young man! I will not be spoken to in this manner," If Hermione admired one thing about her father it was this: He wasn't an arrogant man, not really. He knew his station and was proud of his many accolades. He didn't lord it over others and was actually quite good with kids - only not with his only daughter.  
But he absolutely hated people that looked down on others or acted superior without due cause and reason. If someone tried that with him he could sneer and act the image of the self-important English Gentlemen like the best of them.

Sir Gaius Granger was at least half a head taller than the boy standing on their doorstep and his sneer was just as arrogant and condescending. His counterpart actually took a step back. "_You_ will address me as either _Sir_ Granger or _Doctor_ Granger as befits my station. Have I made myself clear?"

Avery, if that was his name, looked at him in shock, temporarily stunned by the fierce opposition. He clearly hadn't expected such a thing. The shock quickly transformed into rage and he lifted his right arm, which Hermione noticed just now, held a carved wooden stick, maybe twenty, thirty centimeters long.

Whatever he intended to do with it, he wasn't able to complete the motion. With a second shocked cry of "Mister Avery!" the old woman behind him pointed her own stick at the young man whose arms snapped to his sides abruptly.

"Of all the things... In all my years... Madam Marchbanks will hear of this... this outrage, Mister Avery!" the matron stuttered in fury. Then she turned to the aghast Grangers. "Please excuse my... _colleague_. I will just send him on his way and then I fear I owe you an explanation."

She quickly grabbed her partner and pushed him a ways down the path. His feet seemed to work just fine, although his arms were still unnaturally locked in place at his sides. The look of pure loathing on his face was not missed by the family, nor the strange woman, whose face became unreadable. She waved her stick around a couple of times and pointed it squarely in the boy's face. His eyes glazed over for a moment and they could hear the woman whisper something sharply at him. Another flick with the stick and his arms lost their stiffness.

The man, expression still slightly vacant, made as if to turn around, robes billowing slightly - and then he simply vanished with a loud crack like an automobile backfiring.

The Grangers still stared in shock at the spot that had, mere seconds ago, occupied a Human being when the mysterious lady had returned to them.

"I am sorry that you had to witness this unpleasantness," she said. "My sincerest apologies. How that... _boy_... has managed to weasel his way into the Department of Education I will never know.  
"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Minerva McGonagall, Professor for Transfiguration at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

While the elder Grangers continued to stare at her as if she had sprouted two additional heads, Hermione smacked her forehead and mumbled, "That's what it's called. I should have known..."

Upon hearing this Minerva smirked. "Am I right to assume you already figured out why I am here, Miss Granger?"

"I believe you are here to tell me that I am a witch, Professor McGonagall, was it? What did the man do to vanish so suddenly?"

"Correct, you are indeed a witch," the Professor confirmed. "And Mr. Avery used a skill called apparition, which you will learn in a few years. I've been told it is very much like teleportation in muggle fiction."

It looked like she wanted to say more, while Hermione listened in rapt fascination, perking up even more on the mention of teleportation, but just at that moment Gaius came out of his stupor. "Now Madam, there are no such things as witches and wizards! And even if, I would certainly know if my daughter was one of them!"

McGonagall gave a long-suffering sigh. "And here I thought we could've skipped that part..." she muttered to herself in a distinctive Scottish brogue but quickly switched back into Queen's English when she addressed the Grangers again. "I can give you proof Doctor Granger, but I would rather do it inside than out here in the open. May we go inside for a demonstration?"

Over the next hour the Grangers got the impression that this was fairly routine for Minerva McGonagall and she admitted as much. Doubts on the legitimacy of her claim to be a witch, and more importantly for Hermione to be one as well, were quickly laid to rest, when she promptly transfigured the low table into a pig. Then she gave Hermione her stick, which she called a wand, and after a short instruction, the girl managed to produce a small light at it's tip.  
It helped that Hermione's parents began to remember half-forgotten oddities when their daughter had been a baby. How her favourite stuffed animal sometimes went from the floor into her arms when her parents had stepped out for a moment. Back then they had simply assumed to imagine things due to stress and later Hermione was too well behaved and balanced to really show any accidental magic at home.  
At school however things were differently. The frequent outlandish accusations of a certain boy were now much more believable and Mr. and Mrs. Granger were quite cross with their daughter. She however countered that they wouldn't have believed her anyway.  
Thankfully her parents were too dazzled to really admonish her or pursue that line of thought.

Hermione in turn surprised Professor McGonagall by summoning a book after glaring at it for half a minute. Apparently it was quite rare for any witch or wizard to be in any control of their powers before their training and before they had gotten their wands, but it wasn't unheard of either.

Most of the time was spent on introducing the family on what to expect from the magical world. What schools were available and how they impacted on Hermione's choice of career, how the government was organized and where Diagon Alley was located.  
After the more pressing concerns were addressed. Minerva handed Hermione a couple of pamphlets and asked to speak to her parents alone for a moment. Obediently the girl left the grown-ups alone. After she had closed the doors behind her, McGonagall waved her wand over them and the door flashed silvery for a moment.

"Just a standard anti-eavesdropping charm," she told the Grangers who looked a bit startled. "Nothing to concern yourselves with. Miss Granger shouldn't hear what I have to say next and experience taught me to be careful."

"What could you possibly tell us that should be kept from our daughter?" Jeanne Granger asked defensively. Hermione had been thrilled about the possibility to learn magic but her parents were less enthusiastic. Part of it was that they didn't really understand the situation. Another, bigger part was that Hermione wouldn't be privileged in this new world. In fact as a muggleborn she would have a huge disadvantage in the government sector which was the biggest employer and even outside there was some prejudice against them. Bigotry, nepotism and elitism were even bigger problems in the wizarding world than in muggle Great Britain.

"I couldn't help but notice that you are sceptic about all this. You are hardly the first to want to keep her away from the magical world. But," Minerva said. "Hermione is a witch and she needs training.  
"Let me be candid, so there are no misunderstandings. Hermione will go to a magical school for the next five years at least. She is required by law and if you try to hinder her, the Ministry of Magic will step in and take her away from you. You would forget her and Hermione would become a ward of the Ministry. That seldom happens but it does from time to time."

Both Grangers opened their mouths to protest but McGonagall interrupted them with a raised hand and a stern gaze before they could gather any steam. "What you have to realize is, that an untrained teenage witch is very dangerous to both herself and those around her.  
"Accidental magic is fueled by strong emotions which in turn tend to run amok during puberty. A witch can easily kill a classmate or the entire class in a jealous fit. Before magical schooling was mandatory such things have happened, so this is not purely academic."

The Grangers sat in dumbfounded silence. Finally Jeanne found her voice again but it sounded shrill and fearful. "Why tell us now and not years ago? Only to take away our child! That's what you are doing, isn't it?"

Minerva's stern gaze softened considerably. "No, it doesn't have to be that way. You can still be part of your daughter's life, although she most likely will stay in the magical world. A few decide to rejoin the muggle world, my own mother for one, but in most cases that decision is rather painful in the end. Most that do give up magic altogether.  
"It's your choice how big a role you play in Hermione's life. That hasn't changed at all. You can send her to St. George's where she will be home each night but if I may, I strongly recommend Hogwarts. It's a boarding school but her career prospects would be much better. After all the Ministry Schools don't offer N.E.W.T. level courses."

After their little talk with McGonagall the Grangers were still not happy with the situation but were resigned to it. They would support their daughter in her choice.  
Not that there was much to choose from. Hogwarts offered by far the best curriculum but like every public school that came with a steep tuition. At least those at the Ministry of Magic believed it to be steep. Five thousand pounds per term with three terms per year were actually less than the Grangers had planned to spend on their daughter's education.  
Hogwarts was also happy to take pounds, so there was no need to pay the exchange tax. If it didn't attendance would not have been possible as there was a limit on how much money could be exchanged each year. That limit of seven hundred pounds or one hundred galleons wouldn't even allow for the tuition of one term.

The paperwork was done in less than ten minutes, although the Grangers were once again reluctant when they basically signed away their right to decide on Hermione's behalf in case of a medical emergency. McGonagall explained that learning magic was dangerous and accidents did happen frequently, but magical people were much more resilient and magical healers could, by muggle standards, work miracles. Non-magical parents often did not understand that what sounded like a serious injury was actually only a minor nuisance and therefore often overreacted.  
There really was no need to write home, just because of a broken bone that could be mended with a flick and some minor discomfort for the rest of the day.

After the last parchment was signed McGonagall bid the Grangers farewell and promised to take the family to Diagon Alley as soon as Hermione's summer holidays would start in two weeks. Hermione wasn't too happy about having to wait any longer. She had many questions and she hoped to find answers in either a public library or a bookshop.  
She was certain to be at a disadvantage compared to those that grew up with magic and wanted to close that gap as soon as possible. But Gaius Granger forbade her and that was that.

Nobody noticed the Professor circling the property a couple of times, wand flicking and swishing, before she finally left.

* * *

_Friday, 12 July 1991 - 3 Weeks after Liara's ball  
7:03  
Atop T'Soni Tower_

This was it.

Almost a year's worth of planning, training and experimenting had gone into this adventure but it was worth it in Harry's opinion. A final check on his equipment and he would leap off the tower and try to fly all the way to the dolphin reserve over two hundred kilometers due south.

The three pods of his fellow exiles lived around a small isle owned by the T'Sonis, hosting a research camp which was abandoned most of the time. Harry had made it a point of spending at least a weekend every fortnight there, often joined by Liara. There was something comforting in being able to swim and play with the amazing creatures, a feeling of kinship. Maybe it was because they represented a link to his old home planet.

Earth.  
In three days Harry and Liara would return to the Blue Planet - although that moniker was almost laughable when compared to Thessia - him to learn magic and her to learn about magic and the wizarding world. Harry was beyond excited, a feeling he hadn't felt since mastering his biotics. It wasn't only the prospect of learning to 'warp reality' like Liara had phrased it, but for the first time he would be among children his own age, both biological and mental. He would finally have real friends.

He squashed that thought. It wasn't fair to Liara, Primus and Bob who were amazing friends in their own unique way. But Liara was more like an older sister, sometimes - well most of the time - fun to be around but too much of an authority figure to really count. They weren't really equals, like friends should be. She was still the most important person in his life and his first and best friend. It was confusing but he wouldn't change it for anything in the world. Or galaxy.  
Bob and Primus he had never actually met. They communicated via text or voice chat, sometimes a holo-conference but he had never shook Bob's hand for a game well played or slapped Primus' shoulder when he had yet again managed five headshots in a row.  
Well not that he would have done the later one in real life. He rather doubted he would be in the mood to be boastful when people were getting shot.  
Also they still believed he was a tomboyish Asari not-girl-but-female-something.

Harry shook his head to dislodge those morose thoughts. Today was a beautiful day. Slightly overcast with a stiff wind in the right direction. He probably wouldn't need the chemical rockets on his back to reach the Dolphin Isle by wingsuit. But he made sure everything was set nevertheless.

When he looked over his shoulder he almost jumped from the tower. Not because he was ready but because he was staring into Fawkes' eyes who was sitting on his shoulder. Harry hadn't noticed the bird there which was amazing in itself. The weight was negligible but he should have felt something.

Fawkes gave a trill that actually sounded like he was mocking Harry. The boy glared at his companion who only blinked serenely. He looked smug. How could a bird look smug?

"So are you coming with me then?"

A nod. Harry still couldn't get behind the fact that Fawkes apparently could understand him perfectly no matter if he talked English or Asari. Sometimes it almost seemed like he read his mind. After everything that didn't seem unlikely, really. And he was amazed of the range of responses the bird could give without actual speaking. Nevermind the bird's mischievous nature.  
Harry would be sad to see him return to his master.

"It's going to be a long flight."

Now it was Fawkes' time to glare but his was condescending as if to say 'I'm a bird for Goddess' sake. Bring it on!'.

"Liara, I'm ready," he said, opening a channel to Liara who would follow him in a shuttle.

"Are you certain you want to do this today? You could train a bit more..."

"Liara, we've been over this. Today is the last day before the wind is predicted to change direction and later we will be on Earth. It has to be today," Harry was growing tired of the argument. Liara had tried to dissuade him from his project ever since he had started to plan it. Harry thought she was being ridiculous. It was perfectly safe. He was an experienced flyer and if something happened Liara would be there to save him. People had flown longer distances without air support.  
Besides with all the new implants he had gotten over the last week Liara probably knew sooner if he was in trouble than Harry himself and could locate him down to a meter anywhere in the solar system. She could see through his eyes, for Goddess sake!  
Well, his contact lenses really, but that was beside the point.

"But why do you have to do this?"

"I don't have to, I want to. Remember we had a deal Liara. I finish my studies before we leave for Earth and you let me try this. I'm going to jump now. See you on the isle," and with that parting comment he jumped off. Fawkes gave a small protest but was soon airborne as well.

Harry had jumped into a headlong dive, arms pressed to his body and legs closed as to not open his wings and slow his fall. Meanwhile he used his biotics to increase his own mass, almost doubling it. Conventional physics state that this wouldn't make much of a difference in terms of speed but conventional physics take a break when the Mass Effect was at play.

When he came out of his dive he gradually lowered his mass again. Changing mass either requires energy or sets it free. Usually the energy is taken from Dark Energy, a near infinite energy source that permeates the entire universe. Excessive Energy can also be dumped back into the pool so to say. An alternative source or dump can be kinetic energy.

That was what Harry did. He used Dark Energy to double his mass and subsequently used that energy to increase his speed by dumping it as kinetic energy. Each time his speed increased by roughly forty percent. After leveling out and switching on his suit's field generator he would let his buoyancy and the winds take him higher again without losing forward momentum. He would have to repeat that maneuver several times but for now he glided at a decent speed and altitude.

For the next two hours Harry would simply enjoy flying. It might be his last chance for almost a year.

* * *

_Friday, 19 July 1991 - 1 Week later  
8:23 shiptime/GMT  
Cargo hold aboard the Alexandria, orbiting Earth_

"We got everything?" Harry asked, standing in front of the shuttle.

"Yes. You know the plan?" Liara said, already in her Human disguise and wearing the business suit she had bought on Earth. Harry too wore Human clothes but having outgrown his original set a long time ago, they were made on Thessia.

"As if the plan is that difficult," he answered, rolling his eyes. "You already checked if the credit card is still working - and I'm still disappointed by the way - but we are going to make sure before using it in a store."

"What should I have done instead? You certainly liked the pizza and the clothes! And let me remind you, you proposed the same thing not two weeks ago!"

"Not the point! You lied to me," Harry glared at her. "Besides we won't be needing the credit card for long, just long enough to figure out how we can sell the gold. I guess we can't just show up at any bank with a ton of the stuff. Not to mention the diamonds."

One of the problems they had faced during planning this little expedition was how to pay for it. When Liara had visited Earth the first time she hadn't needed to interact with Humans at all.  
Harry, and to a lesser extend Liara, would need to be visible and he probably would need money. They didn't know what awaited him in the magical world but it was prudent to come prepared.

The solution were gold and diamonds. Liara knew that both were highly valued commodities throughout Human history. Historically that was true for the Asari and most other societies as well, although today they were much easier and cheaper to come by. The price of jewellery was dominated by the artistic, aesthetic and sometimes historic value of the piece, not the materials used. The metric ton in the cargo hold of the Alexandria was not worth much more than a ton of iron.  
The same was true for diamonds although chemically perfect diamonds were still rare enough to be highly sought after but for different reasons. The diamonds they had with them were not perfect but they expected to get a reasonable price for them, should the need arise.

"Where is Fawkes?" Liara asked, eager to change the subject. "I thought he was with you."

"You know him. He's no morning bird," Harry chuckled. Liara knew he was right. Fawkes was willing to wake up early when something interesting was about to happen but given the choice would rather sleep in. He was strange that way.

Liara liked the bird but at times he could drive her up the wall. Nothing about him made the slightest lick of sense. The worst instance so far happened two week ago when Fawkes suddenly grew ill. He lost all his feathers and both Harry and Liara had been greatly concerned. At the very least it would make for a bad first impression if Harry turned up with Dumbledore's dead pet bird but the concern for the creature itself far outweighed that consideration.  
They were about to start a medical scan when Fawkes burst into flame and was reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds. Shock quickly grew into more shock when a tiny bird emerged from the ashes, looked at them curiously as if to ask what was wrong. Two days later he was back to his colourful, feathered mischievous self.

There was a positive side to the incident. Following a hunch Liara finally was able to give Fawkes' species a name. He was a phoenix, a bird of Human mythology across the Eurasian continent. It was born from the ashes of its predecessor. Fawkes mostly resembled the Greek variant with one major difference: he was the same bird before and after the burning.

"Oy, Fawkes! Come 'ere you ruddy layabout!" Harry called, trying to sound like a dockside worker. That was another thing that made no sense. Liara knew the bird was most likely in Harry's cabin. Yet as soon as he called him, Fawkes arrived in a flash of fire. They had done a little experiment and concluded he could 'flash' to any point on Thessia with a delay that had to be measured with an atomic clock. Nothing except the Relays were capable of such a feat.

The stare the bird leveled on Harry was yet another thing. Fawkes could stare anybody and anything to the ground except Harry - not that he had given up trying. Liara had personally seen the bird stare down a dobhar not a week ago after Harry's little adventure.  
The amphibious creatures, who Harry insisted looked like a strange kind of dog, were Thessia's apex predator both on land and in the sea. They didn't attack Asari unless cornered and apparently Harry was similar enough to not attract their attention. A bird like Fawkes though was a different matter, yet the dobhar made no aggressive move when Fawkes settled not a meter from it to stare curiously at it.

Harry and Fawkes staring match was broken up by Liara who ushered them inside the shuttle. The ride down towards the planet was uneventful. Fawkes was looking out the window with great interest the whole time and Harry wasn't above a little gawking as well. Excluding their trip to Medes, Harry hadn't been to space since Liara had brought him to Thessia. Even Liara had to admit Earth was beautiful, seen like this.

They landed outside a small town in Essex between London and Cambridge. The cashpoint accepted Liara's fabricated card without issue and Harry went into a nearby stationary shop to buy supplies. The main reason was so he could write this Dumbledore person a letter but in case he could go to Hogwarts he would need to brush up his writing skills. He hadn't used a fountain pen in ages and wasn't exactly keen on this aspect of going back to school.

The clerk was giving him funny looks when he brought a complete set of writing utensils, from pencil sharpener to schoolbag he needed everything, but he didn't comment. Harry was nervous initially but soon remembered that it was the middle of summer. It was odd for a kid his age to need the whole kit. A pen to replace a broken one, sure, but a pencil case, several wirebound notebooks and a book designed for second years? Of course the clerk thought this to be strange.

Having packed his new things Harry hiked back to the place where Liara had parked the shuttle. It took him a morning full of wrist-cramping exercises to bring back his writing skills to the point where he was confident enough to write a short note and not thought of as an imbecile who couldn't even write properly.  
Just what to write in the note was the subject of a lengthy debate. In the end Liara and Harry decided to keep it short and simple but polite.

_Dear Mister Dumbledore,_

_I have received your letter and am eager to meet with you and/or your representatives tomorrow or at a later date at your convenience. The exact time and place I leave to your discretion._

_Yours sincerely,  
Harry Potter_

"Crap, I forgot the envelopes," Harry swore after his fifth attempt was deemed acceptable.

"Language, Harry," came Liara's automatic replay but before she could say anything more, Fawkes swooped down from his perch and snatched the folded letter out of Harry's grasp.

"I think Fawkes is growing impatient and believes envelopes aren't necessary," Liara commented bemused. She addressed the bird next "So you think you can find Dumbledore? And bring back his response later this evening?"

The bird rolled his eyes in annoyance but nodded nevertheless. He probably would have squawked or trilled but the paper in his beak prevented the like. A second later he disappeared in a flash of fire.

"Well, that takes care of that. Now what?" Liara asked.

"You know, I only have this one change of clothes that won't out me as a poofter," Harry hedged. "And they aren't exactly in style anymore. Some kids my age gave me funny looks on my way back..."

"So, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Liara asked with a sly grin.

"Shopping!"

* * *

**Codex**

_The Asari prophecy interpreted by Benezia: _I initially wrote an even longer monologue during which Benezia explained what she thinks about the whole prophecy. I since then cut the thing out as it was too long winded even for me. Okay, my beta Aella pointed it out to me... Anyway, if you want you can read it here. Or you can skip it.  
_The first power has returned._ Power is a crude translation. The original can mean many things like virtue, ability, or more general special characteristics. Some have speculated if it refers to biotics or even the return of intelligent life to the stars. Benezia now suspects it refers to magic.  
_Ushered in by the First Scholar_. Scholars during the time of the Goddess were travelers. They were also many things at once. Explorers, teachers, inventors, sometimes fighters, but most importantly they were persons of learning. They always tried to expand knowledge, their own as well as that of those around them. Liara as an archeologist and all around curious person fits the description. Harry is on his way there as well.  
_Born from the first union of ancient enemies. _There are many possible ancient enemies but the T'Soni and T'Diu families were one of the first entries in the accompanying notes. Back then Aethyta and Benezia had a good laugh about it and but forgot about it until Liara was on her way.  
_With the downfall of the False Goddess. _Could refer to Athame and her doctrine. It is certainly in decline.  
_Liberator of the Second Scholar. _Can mean almost anything, but Liara did liberate Harry from his relatives. It corroborates the theory that Harry and Liara are the two scholars.  
_Leader of those Left Behind. _Benezia thinks refers to the Second Scholar but it's by no means certain. The whole line is very ambiguous, more so than the rest. _Leader_ can mean political, military, ideological, navigational or any other type of leadership. _Those Left Behind_ is even more unclear. It could be the Matriarchy since it was originally formed by the disciples of Athame. Although the Asari don't have formal leaders there are always those that wield more influence than others. It could also mean Humanity, either as a whole or only the wizards and witches. After all Harry left Earth behind.  
_And the rise of the Three Scholars. _This is about the only clear-cut line. There are three scholars that will make an appearance and bring about the next line.

_Those of the First Power will take their place once again. _Depends on what the _First Power_ and _their place_ is. It's entirely possible the prophecy has already been or won't ever be fulfilled.

_Harry's Upgrades:_ In preparation for Earth, Harry has received some goodies. Everything is powered by his biotics. Like starships using their Eezo core, biotics build up an electrical charge. Some of that charge, generated by his morning exercises is stored to power his gadgets.  
_AR-Lenses_: Those not only correct his bad eyesight but also allow him to access the Augmented Reality his MUSE/Omni produce. Glasses would be too suspicious as when someone looks closely they could see the projection in the glass. There's also a camera in there somewhere. Isn't miniaturization grand?  
_Tracking Implant:_ Just a standard GPS-like transmitter. With the help of some satellites Liara can track Harry down anywhere on the planet. It works in normal buildings, but too much solid stuff between him and the sky will render it useless.  
_Throat microphone/Earphones:_ Can be used to hold subvocalized calls and to give instructions to his omni.  
_Subdermal tactile digit implants:_ Wow, what a mouthful... Okay, they are tiny wires and stuff beneath his fingers' skin. They allow him to use his omni even without the usual holographic/haptic interface, relying on a purely AR-presentation instead.  
_Health monitor:_ Just your standard stuff. Heart monitor, some brainwave and blood chemistry monitors. Just to make sure Harry's alright.  
_His Bond-wristwatch:_ Well, 007 would probably go green from envy, after all this bad boy is a omni-tool minus the nanoassembler. That means Harry's got more computational power on his wrist than all of Earth's supercomputers in '91 _combined_. Not that that feat is too hard to achieve. After all that's only about 1000 Gigaflops. Pfft. My 4 years old graphics card can beat that!

_About Magical Britain's Education_: There are several schools managed by the Ministry of Magic, two located in England and one each in Wales, Scotland and the Éire, the last due to the fact that magical Ireland is still part of the magical United Kingdom. Unlike the muggles, the magicals are more spread out. England still houses the most magicals but not by a factor of ten. (England is home to over 50 Million compared to Scotland, Wales and Ireland's ~5 Million each)  
Those schools are designed to produce the bulk of the workforce. They only teach up to OWL standard and only a watered-down form of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Most alumni end up as shopkeepers, artisans, nurses and the like. School is usually followed by at least a year and up to three of additional training where underage students are allowed to use magic outside of school as long as they are at their place of work. Most students are muggleborn and half-bloods but there are several impoverished, unconnected purebloods attending as well.  
It is possible, but hard to gain NEWTs independently and few bother. Those that do are self-taught or tutored.  
Then there is Hogwarts. It is a prestigious public school managed mostly privately which produces the leaders and best educated members of magical society. It is truly one of the best schools of magic in the world with only two peers. The teachers all have at least one of the elusive masteries and often take on alumni for further study. Hogwarts is one of only five schools worldwide that teach at NEWT level and can boast having the most alumni with masteries.  
OWLs are comparable to A-levels or undergraduate-degrees.  
NEWTs are comparable to master's degrees  
Magical Masteries are obtained by advanced study in a field under the supervision of an accomplished master. It is comparable to a PHD with following post-doc tenure. Masters usually take only one or two students at a time and it takes anywhere from three to ten years to obtain a mastery depending on the student, the subject and the teacher.

_Hogwarts syllabus:_ Remember, this is how things should be taught, not how they actually are taught right now.

_Potions:_ General thoughts: I don't think the only thing Snape did was write the instructions on the blackboard and left the students to their own devices. That being said he is an abysmal teacher and has no business teaching students with his attitude.  
First year - Basic labwork (how to safely use the equipment and prepare the simpler ingredients), simple potions  
Second year - Complex preparation, basic utility spells, more advanced potions  
Third year - Potions for objects or external use, testing the effectiveness of your potion  
Fourth year - Ingestive potions, interaction of different potions  
Fifth year - Interaction of ingredients inside one or between more potions, identification (spells, other criteria), personalized potions (using your own blood etc.)  
Sixth year - Anti-poisons, highly advanced potions that take more than a day to brew  
Seventh year - Designing custom potions and modifying existing ones

_Herbology:_  
First year - Basic gardening (which soil to use, how to use the various utensils)  
Second year - Common magical plants, how to identify them, their care and uses  
Third year - Rare magical plants  
Fourth year - Foreign magical plants and how to cultivate them in Britain  
Fifth year - Rare and highly magical plants or non-magical plants made magical (trees that produce wandwood)  
Sixth year - Tending your grove (how different plants interact in close proximity, how to design your own greenhouse,...)  
Seventh year - Mixing species and creating new ones

* * *

**AN: **I just had to quote John Connor. I just had to. Sadly Terminator 3 came out much later than Harry and Liara left Earth or else one or both would have quipped about it. (I used the quote from Terminator 3 instead of 2 because the former's wording fits Benezia better.)  
Well, I can always have them watch it on Earth. Terminator 2 was released in July '91 after all.

St. George's is a nod to '30 Minutes That Changed Everything' by Radaslab just like Fawkes is inspired by Hedwig from Seel'Vor's brilliant 'Harry Potter and the Quantum Leap'. Unlike '30 Minutes' the other magical schools (or their students) won't get any screen time and only matter indirectly and even that not for a long time.

In the reviews of the last chapter someone mentioned Aethyta's and Benezia's story reminds of Romeo and Juliet. Maybe. But there was nobody forbidding the relationship or even having a child. Purebloods are frowned upon but Liara is hardly the only one.  
By the time Aethyta and Benezia develop feelings for each other there is nobody powerful enough to stop them per se. Had their feelings developed earlier they would always have had the option to make their own way, should their mothers not be supportive (which is far from certain). They kept their friendship secret because it suited them. The reason why they kept Liara and their romantic relationship a secret is that they feared interference from the priestesses - a very real threat but hardly the same the star-crossed lovers in Shakespeare's masterpiece face.

On a different subject: What questions would the three of them ask when Harry finally meets with the wizards of Earth?  
I believe in the books Harry was just shell-shocked. Otherwise he would have asked much more and intelligent questions. Now he has time to gather his wits, not to mention he has two very smart ladies that will have questions of their own.


	8. There and Back Again - Part1

**AN:** I have never been to Harrods - or London for that matter. Any similarities with reality are either due to a limited google/wiki search or coincidence.

Thanks to all reviewers, PMers and all the rest who continue to support me. Especially my two betas Debye (aka Reddiffi) and Aella!

I've been asked why Harry sounds less sophisticated now. It's because he's speaking English again instead of Asari and trying to sound like a normal 11 year old. Remember, for a good 4 years all he had was movies and books as well as the odd discussion with Liara. It won't stick though.

**Last time:** Two Hogwarts letters, the Asari Prophecy, Fun with Fawkes  
**This time:** Pre-Hogwarts stuff Part 1, More Fun with Fawkes (I just love that bird)

"Speech"  
'_Radio communication / omni-tool instructions, subvocalized'  
Thoughts_

**Disclaimer: **Some sentences, especially dialogue, in this chapter have been taken directly from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Obviously I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

The bird rolled his eyes in annoyance but nodded nevertheless. He probably would have squawked or trilled but the paper in his beak prevented the like. A second later he disappeared in a flash of fire.

"Well, that takes care of that. Now what?" Liara asked.

"You know, I only have this one change of clothes that won't out me as a poofter," Harry hedged. "And they aren't exactly in style anymore. Some kids my age gave me funny looks on my way back..."

"So, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Liara asked with a sly grin.

"Shopping!"

* * *

**Chapter 8: There and Back Again Part 1**

_Friday, 19 July 1991  
15:12  
Harrods Department Store, London_

How could he have ever been enthusiastic about clothes shopping? Harry knew many things had changed over the last couple of years when he had been ecstatic during his very first shopping spree, but this was beyond ridiculous. Now all he could think of was to finally get out of here and get on with it.

Liara had given up on helping him select his new wardrobe. They couldn't agree on a single item so she had set him a minimum amount of articles he had to buy - 5 sweaters, 8 tees, two weeks worth of underwear, various pants, shoes and jackets for winter and summer and of course a knit cap and mittens he won't ever touch in a million years - and set off towards the women's section and the jewellers to advance their second objective and the reason they were in such an upscale store.

Grumbling Harry browsed through the selection of warm sweaters so he didn't notice the attendant walking up behind him.

"Excuse me, sir? Can I help you?" the middle aged woman asked. Harry flinched slightly and was about to tell her no but decided against it. Maybe he would finish faster with help.

"Maybe. I'm looking for a complete wardrobe, mostly for winter but some summer stuff won't hurt," he said. When the woman whose name tag identified her as Deborah looked at him curiously he continued, "I'm off to boarding school in Scotland this September."

"Scotland you say? Well then you have to get a kilt!" Deborah said with a grin. The prospect of wearing a skirt didn't hold much appeal to Harry and it showed on his face. "No? Just try it out, what's the worst that can happen?"

The next hour was torture but Harry had to admit he probably finished faster and managed to buy a balanced wardrobe with Deborah's help. He even bought the kilt plus accessories. She had offered to take his shopping to the cash register so he strolled through the store, not weighted down by them, on his search for his 'sister'.

When he finally found her at the jewellers he came upon a very peculiar scene. Liara, a man in an employee's uniform and a girl his age were in a heated discussion, which was currently monopolized by the girl.

Harry listened in for a couple of minutes, unnoticed by either of them. He found it funny how Liara and the brunette girl were talking and talking, asking the clerk questions only to answer them themselves with the next breath while the poor guy was shifting from on foot to the other. He clearly wanted to get back to his job but couldn't find a polite way to do so.

Taking pity on the man, Harry walked up on them and called out to Liara, "Hey sis! I'm done, you ready to go?"

Liara looked between Harry and the girl. Harry bit his cheeks to keep himself from laughing. It was obvious she was torn between leaving and continuing the discussion. "Alright Harry. Thank you for your help Mr. Jameson and you as well," she said, first offering her hand to the clerk to shake and then to the girl. Both shook it and with a wave Harry and Liara walked towards the elevators.

"So, what was that? How did you go from asking how and where to sell gold and diamonds to a discussion of the historical importance of gold as an investment with a girl a tenth your age?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"Oh, she was just doing a school project about that and had more or less the same idea as we did. It was very convenient as the clerk didn't ask any uncomfortable questions," Liara answered.

"No wonder. The poor guy couldn't get a word in edgewise, between the two of you," Harry quipped with a smirk. He couldn't see Liara blush beneath her makeup but her body language gave her away anyway.  
Harry often teased her good-naturedly when she rambled about one of her passions and it was even funnier now that she had found someone who was the same. He decided to forget he was no different and was often as not found in a heated discussion with Liara.

"Hush! At least I now know where to sell the gold if we need it. I also got a few book titles dealing with appraising diamonds. Apparently there are several factors to consider and we don't want to arise the wrong sort of questions. The books should be in Glyph's database," she decided not to raise to the bait and go straight to business as they were currently the only ones in the elevator.  
She could tease Harry back when they were back in the crowd.

Soon later the both of them took a stroll through Hyde Park, just two shoppers loaded down with bags. Nobody took notice when they vanished into an especially thick copse of trees. And neither did they notice the cloaked shuttle flying into space.

It was during dessert - blueberry muffins - aboard the Alexandria that Fawkes surprised them by flaming in. He held a letter in his talons which he let promptly go to land on Harry's plate. Then he snatched the boy's muffin out of his hand which had stopped halfway to his mouth and flew off to perch on a nearby kitchen shelf.

"Oi! Give that back you ruddy bird!" Harry yelled at him. Fawkes paid him no mind and enjoyed the spoils of his raid. "Fine, no selaph flowers for you then." Harry knew the phoenix had grown to love the sweet Thessian flower which was why he had frozen a whole bunch of them as a treat for him. They worked nicely as hostages as well.

Fawkes gave him a look that clearly conveyed that he couldn't believe Harry would dare. They once again engaged in a staring contest. Apparently he came to the conclusion Harry would follow through with his treat and gave a mourning trill but grabbed the muffin and dropped it on Harry's plate. The boy promptly gobbled it up and chewed with a superior smirk.

"Do you have to eat that after Fawkes had it in his beak?" Liara asked a little disgusted.

"Yes I do," Harry replied after swallowing the muffin. "I have to establish my dominance or he's going to try to get away with more and more."

Liara gave a long suffering sigh but let the subject drop. "Don't you want to open the letter?"

"Sure," Harry said with a shrug.

_Dear Harry,_

_I'm glad to hear from you. I was worried you had vanished forever.  
Sadly I am currently occupied with my duties as Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump and cannot meet with you personally._

_However, Remus Lupin and Rubeus Hagrid, two old friends of your parents', would like to meet you tomorrow at noon. As location I would propose your newly restored grandparents' home near Oxford. To get there simply hold onto Fawkes' tail feathers. He knows the way._

_If you are agreeable please send Fawkes back with a short note. He will return to you shortly thereafter._

_Yours sincerely,  
Albus Dumbledore_

"What do you think?" Harry asked after he had given Liara the letter to read. "Think this is a set-up?"

Liara pondered the question for some time. "No, I don't think so," she finally said. "Besides, we already agreed to meet with them. We should stick to the plan."

"So I will go there by myself while you circle somewhere nearby in the shuttle and keep an eye on things," Harry recapped. "Works for me," he finished with a shrug followed by a huge yawn.

"I don't know about you, but I'm knackered. I'll just jot down a quick note and then I'm off to bed. Can you get some selaphs out for Fawkes when he comes back?"

Liara answered with a nod and went to get the flowers. Harry meanwhile grabbed a pen from where his writing utensils from earlier were discarded and jotted down a quick line beneath the message, agreeing to the meeting. Then he stumbled to bed.

* * *

_Friday, 19 July 1991  
13:03  
Diagon Alley, London_

Hermione finished her browsing and made for the cashier, arms loaded with different books. She felt a bit skittish since this was her first solo foray into Diagon Alley - and London itself for that matter. Earlier in July she had come here accompanied by McGonagall to buy her school supplies but there hadn't been enough time to properly raid the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts. Skimming over her new books had left her with even more questions and she hoped her new acquisitions would at least answer some of them. Also, none of her schoolbooks covered recent events. She didn't want to sound like some bumbling hillbilly who didn't even know who the current Minister of Magic was.  
Sadly her parents didn't have time to take her to London just to go shopping.

It had taken her two weeks to finally gain their permission to go on her own.

Having payed for the books with some of her new golden coins, she wrestled her new books into her rucksack. Now it was time for her second reason for wanting to go to London and for that she had to make her way into the muggle part of the city.

Through the dingy pub that served as a gateway for the muggleborn and occasional muggles in the know, she exited to Charing Cross Road. Taking the tube from Leicester Square to Knightsbridge, she left her bag in one of the short term storage lockers at the station. She didn't want to enter Harrods with a bag full of books on magic. What if someone asked her to open it?

Armed with notebook and pen she made straight for the jewellers.

"...so you are saying the gold standard ended twenty years ago? Currency is not coupled to gold anymore?" apparently Hermione wasn't the only one on a fact finding mission today. A young woman already had the only clerk in sight engaged in a heated discussion. Hermione quickly decided she could use the situation to her advantage.

"Actually," she said, joining the discussion. "The gold standard became obsolete in the early thirties with the Sterling Crisis and the Gold Reserve Act in the States. The United Kingdom abolished the gold standard directly and the Americans only held onto it on paper."

The next ten minutes they enjoyed a heated discussion about all things gold. The woman proved to have a wealth of historical information but had a lot of questions of more recent developments which were more Hermione's forte. Between the two of them they managed to ask and verify all the points Hermione was really here about.

When after ten minutes a raven haired boy with a cheeky smirk interrupted them and left with the woman, Hermione quickly decided she had enough information to bring her excursion to a close. Buying a gold identification kit from the still dazzled clerk, she left the store, gathered her books and took the train home.

Her parents were not home, not that she expected them to be. They had told her that they had gone to some event and while Hermione had not cared about details, she recalled that they would be returning late that evening. She was on her own today. Which suited her just fine.

When Hermione had been introduced to the wizarding money she had been confused. Not only about the very strange division - twentynine knuts to the sickle and seventeen sickles to the galleon - which she quickly figured out to be based on prime numbers, but more on the material of the coins.

She'd done some research and while it was normal for the lesser and older coins in circulation to have a higher material value than their nominal value, the wizarding world seemed to do it backwards.

The bronze knut was a tiny coin which was worth slightly more than a pence. That coin didn't worry her. Bronze was relatively cheap and any coin of such a small denomination would have a higher material value. The sickle was more worrisome. It's nominal value converted into pence was forty one. From what she could tell it was silver, maybe an alloy but mostly silver nevertheless. It weighed about half an ounce which brought the material value - assuming pure silver - to just shy of two and a half pounds.

But that wasn't the worst of it, not by half.  
The golden galleon was aptly named - it was exactly the type of coin pirates would hoist the Jolly Roger for and attack a ship of the Spanish Armada. It was fairly big and, from what Hermione could tell, made of solid gold. It was much thicker and therefore heavier than the infamous Doubloon, weighting exactly a Troy Ounce.  
Which of course wasn't possible since an ounce of gold was worth far more than a mere seven pounds, or five plus two in taxes.

The tests she performed on the coins were inconclusive. The density, measured through Archimedes' principle, was close enough to that of 24K gold, yet the coins were not as soft as that type of gold was famous for. Hermione hadn't done the bite-test - her father would suffer a coronary if he ever found out - but there were other ways.

Which was the reason of her second objective today and why she was currently handling acid.

She did her testing in the bathroom sink, just to be safe and able to rinse everything if things went wrong. It was also where she tried out potions, as evidenced by a cauldron and a smattering of different potion ingredients lying around.

Like the test suggested she dripped a bit of acid on the coin, starting with the flask intended for 14K gold and working her way higher. None reacted in any way. It made no sense to Hermione. She was fairly certain the coins were at least gold plated.

She slapped her forehead in sudden realization. She had known the coins were enchanted ever since she had shown them to her parents who dismissed them as uninteresting from the very start. Not the reaction she had expected when showing off gold coins. McGonagall had explained that there were charms that could hide the magical world in plain sight from muggles by making unusual things seem normal and boring. She called them Notice-Me-Not charms and Hermione was sure the coins had similar charms on them.  
She had to admit the idea was ingenious. Her parents knew that the galleons were there. They knew they were some kind of money and since they were aware of the magical world made the right connection. They could even differentiate between the three coinages, yet they didn't give them a second thought beyond that. They could probably use them if the need arose but beyond that the golden galleons could be Somali shillings - i.e. worth nothing.

It wasn't a far stretch to assume that if there was one charm on the coins, there could be another, making them impervious to acid. It might even explain the hardness of the gold. But how to get around that? Hermione pondered the problem while letting her gaze wander over the various potion utensils cluttering her bathroom.

Her head snapped back. Could it be that easy? She picked up the rasp she had used to take shavings from a particularly hard nut. Maybe it worked on the enchanted gold coins as well?

She scraped her test galleon over the file a couple of times and was rewarded with a few filings that would serve her purpose. Dropping them into the porcelain mortar she had used before she repeated the acid test. This time she was rewarded with a conclusive result. The coins were indeed pure gold, worth more than three hundred pounds.

It actually made some twisted sort of sense. From what she had seen so far, the magical world was backwards in many things, most notably in fashion and morals. It wasn't that big of a shock that they still used the gold prices of the last century.

* * *

_Friday, 19 July 1991  
19:37  
Headmaster's Study, Hogwarts_

"Tell me Albus, why is it that you proposed for Hagrid to accompany me tomorrow to meet Harry?" Remus Lupin asked. "Not that I mind, I like Hagrid, he was always a good friend, but wouldn't someone like McGonagall be better to represent the school? For that matter, why aren't _you_ joining us?"

He was sitting in front of the Headmaster's desk which was barely visible beneath the stacks of parchment. Dumbledore was sitting behind the desk, a half-full plate of sandwiches in easy reach as well as a goblet of pumpkin juice. He had just sent Fawkes back to Harry with their letter and was now enjoying his light supper.

"Exactly, my dear Remus," Albus said. "Hagrid is one of the best friends one could wish for. Minerva is an excellent instructor and well suited to deal with irate parents, but to make Harry feel comfortable Hagrid will do better.  
"As to myself, I was not lying," he motioned at his desk. "I truly am very busy, now that school is not in session."

"But surely not busy enough you couldn't spare an afternoon?"

"Maybe not," the old wizard admitted, peering out from behind his half-moon spectacles. "But I believe it is better I meet with young Harry another time."

"So you are going to hide behind Hagrid and me?"

"For now, indeed I will," Albus chuckled. "Never fear. I will meet with Harry, if he so desires before the new school year. I just think it would be better if his first contact with the world that is his birthright isn't the one who has condemned him to six years of misery."

Remus made as if to say something more, but before he could get more than the first syllable out, Fawkes appeared in his typical flash of fire, a piece of parchment clutched in his talons and some sort of flower in his beak

"Ah, back so soon, my friend?" Albus asked while his familiar settled on his left shoulder. Instead of focusing on the letter, the Headmaster was more interested in the flower. He hadn't seen anything like it before. He was no expert in herbology but had more than a passing knowledge. The perks of a long and studious life.  
The deep blue flower wasn't particularly beautiful but had a large calyx and thick petals. Before he could get a better view however, Fawkes gulped his treat down and gave a satisfied chirp. Deciding not to comment, Albus took the letter, recognizing it as his own with a quick 'Looking forward to it. -Harry' written beneath his own signature.

"It appears Harry is agreeable," he said to his companion. "I trust you will have things well in hand? I'll make Hagrid a portkey and he will meet you at Potter Manor at a quarter to eleven. Do you require one as well?"

"No, I will be fine," Remus declined. "My home isn't that far from Oxford, so I'll just apparate. I'll see you on Sunday?"

"Yes, I should have time for an extended lunch. You are more than welcome to join me and I look forward to hear your report."

"Albus... I told you, I'm not your spy," Remus said exasperatedly as he stood and made for the fireplace. They'd had that discussion before. "I just want to meet the son of my best friend. I agreed to speak on your behalf because you seem sorry for what happened. But Harry isn't your pawn. He's just a kid."

"You are right of course, Remus. I just want to know what happened to him during the last four years," Albus said, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses. He looked very tired. "It is just... He vanished from the face of the Earth, as far as we know. I worry about him, just like you. Harry's great-grandfather was a dear friend of mine, his grandfather my apprentice and I was quite fond of James and Lily."

"Just so long as we are clear on that," Remus said, pinching some floopowder to throw into the fire. "See you on Sunday," he said, stepping into the green flames. With a loudly spoken 'Moony's Den' he vanished in a flash.

Dumbledore slumped back in his chair, feeling every one of his one-hundred-ten years. Fawkes, ever faithful, tried to lift his spirits with a happy trill.

* * *

_Saturday, 20 July 1991  
11:55  
Shuttle somewhere above Oxford_

Harry, Liara and Fawkes had finally arrived above Oxford. Had it been up to Harry they would have gotten there _hours_ ago, but Liara had been her usual worrywart - in his opinion - and insisted to hit the whole of Oxfordshire with every sensor the Alexandria got. There had been nothing out of the ordinary the first three times aboard the ship and the much less sensitive instruments of the shuttle agreed a fourth and fifth time.

"Come on Liara, give it a rest," he pleaded. "I'll be fine."

"I know, Harry," Liara finally seemed to cave and turned in her pilot's seat. Harry could see her give the sensor data one last glance before she tackled him in a fierce hug, which he returned enthusiastically after a second or so, just a little bit embarrassed..

"Right," he finally said, giving the Asari one final pat on the shoulder. "I think it's time for me to go."

"Just... Be careful, Harry," Liara said with one last squeeze.

"Ain't I always?" Harry asked rhetorically which earned him a snort which clearly conveyed the dispersing feelings the two friends had about carefulness.

Extracting himself from Liara, Harry made his way to Fawkes who was sitting patiently - more or less - on the cot in the back of the shuttle. When Harry approached he gave an excited trill and half jumped, half flapped on the boy's shoulder. It had never, in his wildest dreams occurred to Harry to compare the royal phoenix to the common chicken, but in the cramped space the bird's movements were a bit awkward in contrast to his usual grace.

"So Fawkes, how do we do this? Should we land the shuttle?" Harry asked. In response the bird turned around and wagged his tail feathers in front of Harry's face, prompting him to grab them. As soon as the boy had a firm grip, Fawkes leaped from the shoulder, half turning the boy with his momentum and both of them vanished in a flash of flame which Liara, still standing close, noted wasn't hot at all.

Harry had barely enough time to take in his surroundings before he crashed to the ground. He was a veteran in the air, trying to fit in some flying at least three times a week if not more, and never had he had any trouble with the landing. In fact, the very first time he had used a wingsuit he managed a perfect touchdown, much to the surprise of Liara who expected him to land in a heap.  
But the sudden departure, coupled with the brief sensation of flying in what was to him blinding light, but was actually the noon sun above an unnaturally clear sky, and the sudden onrush of ground that left him only a split second to react conspired against him. He managed to avoid a complete crash landing but still came to a rest, sprawled across the cut grass.

Fawkes trilled merrily in a way that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

"Sometimes I hate that bird," Harry muttered. "I wonder if he's trying to kill me."

For a moment he decided to just lie there. He wasn't in any pain, not really, but he felt a bit humiliated. After all he was supposed to be the best junior skyball player in at least three centuries. Yet here he was, crashed by a trickster bird that could give Loki a run for his money.  
_It's quite peaceful here. The grass feels nice. I could lie here all day. I missed summer on Earth, the smell is something special._

Just as he was about to get up, the face of a large man entered his view, blocking out the sky. It was mostly hidden beneath his long, shaggy black beard and hair but there was worry in his friendly eyes like black beetles.

"Alright there, Harry?" the man asked in a thick dialect. "Not hurt, are yeh?"

Harry shook his head and was hoisted up on his feet. He was soon in danger of ending up on the ground again, as the giant proceeded to slap the non-existent dirt off his clothes, making him stagger. Giant was exactly the right word for the stranger. The man who was either Mr. Lupin or Mr. Hagrid could tower Krogan! He was at least ten feet tall! And he had the bulk and obviously the strength to match, if the ease with which he had picked up Harry was any indication.

"No, I'm not hurt," Harry answered with a bit of delay as soon as the shaking down stopped enough for him to regain his breath. Despite the rather rough treatment the man seemed nice and friendly enough. "Not exactly what I expected from my first Air Fawkes flight. I suppose next time I'll just let that ruddy bird have my muffin before I let him take me anywhere," he finished with a glare towards the still highly amused culprit.

"I suppose. Them phoenixes can be a wee bit playful if they like yeh enough," the giant agreed. "But not ter worry, Harry. They would never hurt anybody."

"I guess... I'll still pay him back. In time. But you have me at a disadvantage, sir," Harry said, finally turning from Fawkes and extended his hand towards the other man. "I'm Harry Potter."

"Why of course yeh are," the other said, grasping his hand but instead of shaking it drawing him into a bearhug instead. "Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby. Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes."

"But who are you?" Harry said, his words half muffled by the strangers cloak.

"True, haven't introduced meself. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts," he stated proudly while setting Harry back down.

Harry was finally able to look around. They stood on an impeccable English lawn a hundred, maybe two hundred yards from an old mansion. The clearing was surrounded by a dense forest and Harry could only spot a narrow dirt road halfway around the building through it. He couldn't be sure about the other side though.

There was also another man jogging towards them. He looked slightly disheveled, the strange robes he wore were on the shabby side, having been visibly mended several times. Despite the grey peppering his light brown hair he seemed quite young, probably in his early thirties. As he was still some fifty yards away, Harry decided to engage Hagrid in a bit of small talk.

"Where are we, Mr. Hagrid?"

"Ah, non of that Mister business, Harry. Just Hagrid's enough. Everyone calls me that," Hagrid said with a negating wave of his hand. "And we are at Potter Manor. Yer grandfolk's place. Well it was their place before they died, of course."

Harry was a stunned by that. All he had known about his parents was that they had been drunks and that they died in a car accident. Neither his paternal nor maternal grandparents had been discussed. _Strange. Why has Aunt Petunia never mentioned her own parents? I guess it's understandable that she didn't want to speak about mum, but her own parents?_

He had of course already figured out that the Dursley's had either lied to him or not known the truth. He suspected the former, yet it was a bit strange. If his paternal grandparents were as rich as their house suggested, why had his Uncle Vernon complained about Harry costing them so much?

By the time he had regained his wits enough, the second man had arrived, slightly out of breath.

"Harry, are you alright? We heard you scream..."

"I did not scream!" Harry interrupted indignantly. Of course Fawkes decided on that moment to barge in and managed to communicate that yes, Harry had indeed screamed. In fact he had screamed like a little girl, in the bird's humble opinion. Harry was once again amazed how much could be conveyed in a series of trills and a few gazes. Amazed and exasperated. "Ah shut your beak, Fawkes! This is all your fault!"

He was rewarded with a smug expression as Fawkes spread his wings and with a leap from the low branch he had sat on glided in a circle around the group of three. With a parting squawk he vanished in a bright flame.

"So... Nice to meet you, Mr. Lupin?" Harry greeted the new arrival a bit uncertain with an outstretched hand.

"Please, call me Remus, Harry," Lupin said, shaking hands. "I've changed your nappies once when James and Lily needed a day of rest, so I think we are past the formalities."

"Ouch, right to the embarrassing baby stories," Harry said with a mock wince. "Alright. Remus."

'_This is fascinating!_' came Liara's voice over the comm-line while the trio walked toward the manor. A red dot in the right upper corner of Harry's vision indicated that she was watching through his eyes via the contact lenses. By now she was probably hovering in the Shuttle nearby. '_The manor appears to be a strange mix between Romanesque and Gothic architecture with some Roman influences. If the building is truly as old as that inscription suggests it was decades, maybe even centuries before its time. Yet it looks almost new! Maybe you should ask them about it._'

At her command Harry's AR-lenses highlighted the inscription of interest, 'I. FIGVLVS. I. F. DISC. GRYFFINDORIS. FECIT. A. DO. MLXXV', under a heraldic achievement. The closed helm bore a strange bird as a crest and sat atop a single band coronet with four pearls. The shield displayed a crossed sword and what looked like a baton in gold on a red field and was supported by two griffins standing on a forest compartment. The motto was 'Aequitas et Veritas'

"Excuse me, but Hagrid said this was my grandparents' home," Harry asked his companions. "Why does it look so new?"

"Well, Harry," Remus said. "I'm no expert on the history of your family, you should ask Professor Dumbledore later, but as far as I know this is your ancestral home. It was severely damaged during the war shortly after your grandparents died. I really can't say what happened to them as I was on the continent for most of it."

"They died of dragonpox," Hagrid grumbled. "At least that's what I heard. But who knows, what with people dyin' left an' right. Them were dark times..."

"Anyway," Remus picked up the narration. They were only a few step away from the door. Harry noted that there truly was only a small forest path leading to the house. "James felt it wasn't safe to live here. He and Lily had already stepped on You-Know-Who's toes a couple of times..."

"Sorry, who?" Harry asked confused.

"You-Know-Who," Hagrid repeated as if that would clear everything up. At Harry's uncomprehending gaze Remus elaborated. "The Dark Lord that started the war. The one that killed your parents and tried to kill you."

"Ah! You mean Voldemort," Harry finally remembered the name from Dumbledore's letter. The two adults flinched.

"Now don't yer say his name!" Hagrid near shouted. Now it was Harry's time to flinch and mumble a contrite 'Sorry'.

"It's alright, Harry. You didn't know," Remus had recovered faster than the giant. "The war was so bad, People still feel uncomfortable saying or even hearing his name, even though it's been almost ten years since You-Know-Who died."

"Don't know about him dying, Remus," Hagrid stated ominously. "Wizard as bad as him... I say there was not enough human left in him to die. But he's gone, true enough."

At that point they had arrived at the door. Remus motioned for Harry to open it. At the questioning glance he explained, "There are wards on this house. I think Professor Dumbledore's letter already mentioned that you're famous and people might try to invade your privacy. There's also the possibility of some left-over Death Eaters trying to harm you. Dumbledore has set it up so that when you open the door, all the wards will recognize you as the true owner of this building."

"Excuse me, but what are Death Eaters? And what are wards?" Harry asked, confused by the new terms.

"Oh, sorry again," Remus said. "I keep forgetting that you aren't familiar with our terms. Just keep asking when you hear something you don't understand.  
"The followers of You-Know-Who were called Death Eaters. As far as I know they gave themselves that name. 'Ward' is a generic term for any protective magic. In this case it mostly hinders people you don't know or like to enter the house by any means."

Still unsure Harry eyed the door. It was relatively large, big enough to even accommodate Hagrid easily. There was no doorbell but an old-fashioned knocker above the doorknob. There was no keyhole. Tentatively Harry reached for the knob. When he touched it, he felt a tingling spreading from his fingers, which appeared glued to the metal, throughout his body. It was over after only a second or two, but Harry still yelped and sprang back a step.

'_What happened?_' screamed Liara in his ear, making him wince. '_Your amp recorded a minor spike in Eezo activity. Are you alright?_'

'_I'm fine,_' Harry mumbled so that his throat microphone would pick it up but not to alert the two wizards. '_Just got zapped by the doorknob._'

Harry could hear several locking mechanisms operating behind the door which soon swung open. Harry was looking between Remus and Hagrid, expecting one of them to lead the way. If either of them had heard his short exchange with Liara they masked it well. Hagrid began to chuckle.

"Don't yer want ter invite us in?"

"You have to invite us in, or the wards won't let us cross the threshold," explained Remus more helpfully.

"Oh... Okay, I guess," Harry stammered. "Please come in."

The three of them entered into a large entrance hall spanning two floors. Dominating the room was a massive fireplace with an ornate mantelpiece again depicting the already familiar coat of arms in full regalia to Harry's right. Two double-sided, currently open doors led into what appeared to be a small ballroom or saloon.

"Welcome to Potter Hall, Harry!" Remus said loudly, his voice reverberating slightly. "Now where was I..."

Leading the group towards the double door at the left, he answered himself, "Ah yes... Your father decided it wasn't safe to live here, as the Potter's ancestral home was well known. You-Know-Who decided to burn this place anyway for good measure. That was in late 1980, around Christmas. Maybe he thought your family would celebrate Christmas here"

Behind the door was the second largest library Harry had ever seen. That wasn't saying much, as the only ones he had visited before were the pitiable shelf the Dursley's had called their family library, his old school's library and the public library of Guildford before he left with Liara. It was still pretty impressive.  
It was an elongated room with windows spanning two floors on the long side they faced, giving the room a bright feel. Near the windows couches, armchairs and normal chairs were grouped around low and high tables or standing alone. At least ten double rows of bookcases occupied about two thirds of the room. Two spiral staircases led to a false ceiling above the bookcases which was also covered with them.  
Everything was richly decorated. The woodwork was carved exquisitely and some of the windows were stained glass, letting coloured light play across the room. The masonry was equally adorned and sculpted.

'_It's beautiful!_' breathed Liara in awe.

"Your father set aside some money in his will to rebuild the place after the war was over, but by that time only you were still alive," Remus continued, leading them towards the central part of the seating area. There waited a couch and two armchairs around a low table in front of another fireplace. It looked very comfy. "Dumbledore, as the executor of the will, decided it was better to postpone the full restoration until you were able to take possession of it. Not much sense renovating an empty house after all. He had the house completed only two months ago in anticipation of your return. I helped with the library," he finished with a sweeping motion around the room.

Remus sat down on one of the chairs while Hagrid claimed the couch due to his bulk, leaving Harry to settle in the last chair.

"Anyway, I've seen some chronicles down there," Remus said, indicating the far upper part of the library. "They should give you a more complete history of your family."

An uneasy silence settled over them, as they were at a loss of what to say. Strangely it was the unseen listener that egged the conversation on. '_Go on, Harry. Ask them something._'

Not knowing where to start, Harry asked the first thing that came to mind. "So... What exactly is magic?"

Hagrid started to chuckle while Remus was only staring at him, eyes going suspiciously red and moist.

"Sorry, shouldn't I have asked that?" Harry asked unsure of what happened.

"No, it's quite alright, Harry," Remus said, wiping at his eyes. "It's just... Lily... Your mother used to ask the exact same question, all the time. Drove half of Gryffindor spare with it."

"Not just the Gryffindors," Hagrid threw in. "Used to visit me once or twice a month for a spot of tea and always try'd to talk about magic with me. Me of all people! 'S not as if I'm allowed... Err... Nevermind. Yer mum was a fine woman, Harry. The best."

Harry was beginning to think he was in for a long day. This brief exchange alone had stirred at least two new questions, but for now he decided not to let himself get sidetracked. Instead he looked expectantly between the two men.

"What is magic?" Remus finally mused. "If you are anything like your mother, we won't be able to give you a satisfying answer, Harry. In all the years I knew Lily she never stopped asking, so I think she never found a good answer. In fact she infected James with it! By the time they got married he was more than willing to discuss the question with her for hours, not that it ever amounted to much. But let's see.  
"I believe the best explanation I've ever heard is 'Magic is the wizard's will shaping the world around him to his liking'. It's true enough for now, but let me demonstrate. Do you care for some tea, Harry?"

Caught off balance by the question, Harry had to blink a few times before reacting. "Uhm... Yes, I guess..."

Remus then drew a wooden baton, similar to what an orchestra conductor used, if slightly thicker. "This is called a wand. It helps me do magic. You will get one before leaving for Hogwarts."

He moved his wand in an intricate pattern over the table with a look of concentration on his face. With an almost inaudible pop, a simple and rather banged up tea set appeared on the table. Another wave and the teapot began to emit steam.

"What I did just now was summon the set I've prepared earlier and heated the water in the pot.," he explained while pouring three cups. "This kind of magic is fairly advanced and it required me to prepare for it. I had to know exactly where the items were as well as how they look. Then I used a spell to bring them from there to here - in this case from my home in Staffordshire. Next I used a much simpler spell to boil the water. The first spell you will learn in sixth year, while the later one will probably be covered this or next year."

"By the Goddess," Harry breathed in awe. The casual way in which Remus just broke about all the laws of physics he knew of boggled his mind. Liara was a bit more vocal. '_Goddess! That's... That's... That's almost a hundred miles! And it took him what? Five seconds? Assuming the items started moving immediately... Unbelievable!_'

It wasn't the speed alone. The Relays accelerated ships to much higher speeds, not to speak of how Fawkes arrived on Thessia. What was really amazing was the ease and nonchalance with which is was done. The Relays were massive, dwarfing every other structure in the galaxy except the Citadel. Spaceships required sophisticated drive cores to accelerate to speeds even a fraction of what was obtainable by Relay.  
Yet all Remus did was waving a stick around. It brought the point home just how amazing magic was.

Remus who had looked sharply at Harry at his odd swearing decided not to press it. "If you want a more - what did Lily call it... ah - philosophical... no... scientific! - funny word that - explanation, your mother left some journals behind. I haven't read them, as they are personal, but I guess she'll have written down all the answers she found over the years. I'll show them to you later.  
"That reminds me... I remember James used to write a journal of his own. We used to make fun of him because of it, called it his girly diary, but by sixth year he had us convinced and we kept our own. It's apparently a family tradition. In fact, about three aisles are solely dedicated to the journals of your ancestors. Your father's should also be around somewhere.  
"Now, can I ask you something? Where were you the last four years?"

Harry, Benezia and Liara had known this question would be asked. They had spent many hours debating how much, or rather how little, Harry was allowed to give away. Benezia had given him strict guidelines on how much he was allowed to reveal.

'_Ask them how they knew you were gone and what they did to find you, Harry,_' Liara advised him over radio.

"How did you even know I was gone? And what did you do to find me?" he dutifully asked.

"Well, Dumbledore placed yeh there, Harry," Hagrid said as if it was clear as day. "Not much that escapes him. Great man, Dumbledore."

"But why did he leave me with the Dursleys anyway? Why couldn't I have been adopted by someone in the magical world? Why was it his decision to make?"

"We'll let him answer that question," Remus said. "He already said he would visit you later in the summer. Some things he has to explain you in person. And make sure he apologizes to you!  
"But I guess I can explain a little bit. Your parents will named him as their representative. You have to remember, you were born in a time of war. People didn't know whom to trust, as traitors were uncovered almost monthly, so it was common practise to nominate one guardian for your children and in case that first choice died someone who would find a suitable alternative. Dumbledore couldn't have taken you in himself - he's far too busy with his many duties - but he was held above reproach by all of us. He led the resistance almost single handedly! Many who fought against You-Know-Who named him as their executor."

"But how did you know I left? Was I being watched?"

"In a way," Remus finally admitted. Seeing the near outrage in Harry's face he quickly tried to appease the boy. "Don't worry, nothing invasive. Dumbledore put wards up at your Aunt and Uncle's place and when you left, they failed. The Professor has some instruments monitoring those wards as well as your health in case something went wrong.  
"Also I used to visit the neighbourhood once a year or so and the Prophet ran an irregular column on you."

'_Harry, those instruments sound like a serious invasion of privacy. You have to get them to stop monitoring you,_' Liara sounded seriously pissed off.

"To tell the truth, I'm not really happy about those instruments," Harry said out loud. "And why haven't you tried to introduce yourself, Remus?"

"I'm sure Dumbledore did it for yer best, Harry," Hagrid stated. Harry got the impression that the giant didn't want to hear anything negative about the Headmaster.

"I didn't introduce myself because Dumbledore said your relatives wouldn't appreciate it," Remus said with genuine remorse. "Listening to his advice is something I will not forgive myself anytime soon. I should have taken a more active role in your life, Harry, after all James and Lily were my friends. I'm truly sorry."

'_I'll ask Dumbledore directly,_' Harry grumbled, taking a risk to calm Liara a bit.

"It's alright, Remus. It turned out fine in the end." Harry didn't just say the words. In his opinion the Dursleys' were in the past. His life was on Thessia now and he had found a wonderful family there.

"So you are happy there? And you can't tell us where you went?"

"Sorry, Remus. It's not my secret, so I can't tell you. But I'm really happy to be there."

"I understand. Maybe in time you will be able to confide in me, but for now all that's important to me is that you are safe and happy."

"By the way you haven't answered my question. How did Fawkes find me in the end?" Harry tried to get the conversation back on track.

Remus sighed in submission. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise me, not to tell anyone. You see, there are types of magic that are illegal. Ritual magic is one of them, as it is almost impossible to monitor and can have devastating consequences. It has been outlawed fairly recently - I think your grandmother was one of the last to obtain a mastery in it - and even before that it has been frowned upon.  
"Anyway, ritual magic is much more powerful than what can be done with a wand. Professor Dumbledore knew of a ritual that allowed us to enhance Fawkes natural abilities so that he could reach you. A lock of your hair was used to guide him. But for details you'll have to ask the Professor."

They fell into silence once more. Hagrid slurped his tea. It was a bit disconcerting to hear how easy it had been for the magicals to find him, apparently. Both Liara and Harry would have to look further into it. Maybe there were some books in the massive library now at their disposal?

"So..." Harry finally broke the silence after a couple of minutes. "Fawkes is a magical bird, right? At least I've only heard about phoenixes in mythology. Are there other magical animals? What about other intelligent species? Elves and dwarves? Trolls and orcs? What about dragons? I've read I'll have to buy dragonhide gloves, so are they real? Shouldn't they be rather big? How can you keep them secret?"

"Of course dragons are real, Harry!" Hagrid beamed. "And yer right, them are big. Ministry got their hands full, hiding them from the muggles, let me tell yeh. I would give anything for one of 'em."

"Err, sorry? Ministry? And you would like a dragon? Are they intelligent?"

"Nah, they are just animals and of course I would like one! Ever since I was a lad, but me da' wouldn't have let me," Hagrid said wistfully.

"Not to mention it's illegal to breed dragons, Hagrid," Remus grinned. Apparently it was an old argument. "And there are some dragons around on the isles, but not as many as in the big reserves in Eastern Europe. The Ministry of Magic is our government. It's main purpose is keeping our world hidden from the muggles, so that also means keeping dragons hidden. There are house elves, dwarves and trolls, although I wouldn't call trolls intelligent. Never heard of orcs, but there are some giants left. And obviously there are the goblins."

"Are you a giant Hagrid?" Harry asked curiously. The man's big size made much more sense now.

"Now why are yeh askin' that Harry?" Hagrid asked, obviously hurt.

"Sorry! Didn't want to upset you. It's just, you're so big!"

"Giants are a lot bigger than our Hagrid here," Remus put in. Then he looked at the man in question. "But Hagrid..."

"Yeah, yeah yer right, Remus. Me mum was a giant and that makes me a half-giant. But don't tell anyone, Harry." Hagrid was obviously ashamed of his ancestry.

"Why would anyone care that your mother was a giant?" Harry asked puzzled. Bigotry was relatively unknown in the educated parts of the galaxy. People might have a personal dislike for a certain species but such things weren't discussed in polite company. At least as far as Harry knew. He never came in contact with the more militant supremacist propaganda. Almost every species had their own factions, however small, that thought their species was above the rest or should at least remain on its own.

"Ah yer are yer parents' son, Harry. Lily and James never cared for that blood purity nonsense," Hagrid said smiling.

"I can understand why Hagrid doesn't want it to be known that he's a half-giant. Some look down on people like Hagrid and me," Remus had a faraway look. "You see, I'm a werewolf. I've got excellent NEWT scores but still can't keep a job longer than a couple of months."

"Why? You seem nice enough..." Harry asked.

"There's a lot of prejudice in our world, Harry. Normal wizards and witches are afraid of or look down on what they call half-breeds and non-humans. Purebloods look down on half-bloods and muggleborn. It's better now, but the war was fought because the purebloods thought we shouldn't let the muggleborn into our world and let them 'pollute' the blood. But it's not all bad. Most people just want to make a decent living and don't care about all this. It's just the bigots are the loudest and sadly backed by some powerful people."

"Bloody idiots, if yer ask me," Hagrid put in agitated. "Blood's blood and it's all red. Doesn't make a lick of difference to magic. Look at yer mum, Harry. As muggleborn as they come, but best of her class! Wasn't a spell she couldn't do. Even made yer father sweat when she pulled her wand, she did."

"True enough. We all feared the wrath of Lily Evans," Remus said laughing. "We pranked her once and she wiped the floor with us."

Again silence stretched between them. Remus pulled his wand again, recast the heating charm on the pot and filled their cups again.

"What I still don't understand is how you can hide from normal people. They must notice! And talk. And I can't imagine the war you keep talking about going unnoticed either."

"Yer would be surprised how much them muggles ignore," Hagrid chuckled. "Then there are are spells to make them notice even less or forget what they saw."

"You can change memories!?" Harry exclaimed.

"Of course. Ministry does it all the time. Got some wizards whose job it is to obliviate the muggles that saw something and make up an explanation. Even got a committee for it... whatzit called..."

"The Muggle-worthy Excuse Committee," Remus provided. "They also got the Invisibility Task Force who are in charge of concealing the entrances to our world as well as the more obviously magical plants and animals. Like dragons."

"But why? Why hide?"

"Why? Because the muggles would have us solve all their problems," Hagrid said.

"Personally I think because each world has a different set of problems," Remus disagreed. "Mixing them would cause disaster. Also some of them would envy us our power while our bigots would look down on them. War would be a distinct possibility. Maybe someday we can reveal ourselves, but not yet. We all got enough on our plates already."

Again they descended into silence.

"I have another important question," Harry hedged carefully. "Is there a way to fly with magic?"

The reactions were varied. Remus started chuckling while Hagrid laughed uproariously. Liara groaned in his ear.

"Now that's one hundred percent James," Remus said. "Yes, there are several ways but the most important one is the broom."

"Brooms? Aren't they used to sweep the floor?"

"Why would yer use brooms for that?" Hagrid asked incredulously. Harry who hadn't seen a broom in years shrugged. On Thessia robots took care of cleaning the floors. Maybe the wizards had something similar.

"So the tale of the broomriding witch is true," Harry conceded. "Can't believe that's very comfortable."

"That's what cushioning charms are for," Remus provided. "But if you want to fly in style and comfort there are flying carpets. Sadly they've been outlawed a couple of years ago. Then there are the umbrellas but they are only novelty items nowadays. Too slow and you are stiff for hours afterwards. And obviously you can't play quidditich with them."

The discussion soon turned to less important things as all three relaxed. Remus and Hagrid regaled him with anecdotes of his parents and life in the magical world in general. Hagrid especially was a wealth of knowledge about magical beasts. Remus by contrast was much more versed in the intrinsics of magic itself, which wasn't a big surprise. Hagrid soon admitted of not being allowed to do magic, due to expulsion in his third year.

Overall it was both captivating and maddening. There was a world of wonders out there, yet neither Hagrid nor Remus could explain the fundamentals of magic. Some things they took for granted were almost nonsensical to Harry. Most of his in-depth questions they couldn't answer but Remus promised that he would ask Dumbledore to explain.

What intrigued Harry the most was quidditch. Apparently it was the main sport played or at least watched by all wizards and witches, similar to football in non-magical Britain or skyball in Asari space. It was also one of the things that sounded terribly exciting but also a bit crazy. It seemed as if someone had taken skyball, dodgeball and some catching game and combined them into one single confusing entity. Harry was excited to see it for himself but Liara reserved her judgment.

When both Hagrid and Remus made to leave just before dinnertime they didn't make for the exit but rather steered towards the large fireplace in the entrance hall. At Harry's questioning, Remus explained about magical travel via floo. It was just another example of the craziness of the magical world he had already glimpsed through the earlier tales. Why would they use fireplaces? If they could do something like this, why not build portals?

Before leaving Remus and Hagrid promised to drop by again the next week. He was assured total privacy, but Harry was still wary of trusting them completely. For now he would spend his day at the house alone, without Liara.

After they were gone, Harry returned to the library to quickly take stock, with Liara advising him over radio. Harry acted as if he was talking to himself, just in case. He felt like a spy and had a blast. Both were pleased that all his schoolbooks were already part of the library, as they had no idea where else to start. Harry grabbed them and the first of his parents journals to take with him on the Alexandria.

Soon later Liara landed her shuttle in a nearby clearing and picked him up.

* * *

_Tuesday, 30 July 1991  
17:00  
Vakarian family home, Cipritine, Palaven_

Garred Vakarian was watching his son Primus play some shooter from the open door. He hadn't been home much for the last couple of years, but if the fiasco that was Medes had one positive consequence it was that he had been able to set aside more time for his family. If he hadn't, he would have never spotted the downcast mood in his firstborn.

As he watched, Primus was being slaughtered methodically. His right flank was wide open because his teammate was incompetent. It surprised Garred. At the level Primus played you couldn't hope to win without a well oiled team. He was vaguely aware of a string of expletives coming from Primus' headset.

"Hey son," he said, drawing attention to him. "What are you playing?"

"Hi dad. Just 'UW: Shadow of Pharos'. Don't know why I bother though. Without Harri it isn't much fun. I only get idiots as teammates."

Garred frowned. With his job as a spectre he had made some enemies and therefore kept a closer eye on those who approached his family. He didn't remember any Harri.

"I don't think you ever mentioned this Harri. Who is he?"

"She," Primus replied absentmindedly as he joined another game. "Remember those cultural exchange classes you signed me up for? She's one of the Asari I met there. We kept in contact but now she's off with her sister on some excavation or something. Means nothing more than text messages for the next ten months or so. Definitely no SoP."

"So this Harri is older? If she's already going on archaeological excursions..."

"Don't know her exact age, but she's more or less my age. Bit older, but you know the Asari. She's probably almost twenty..."

"So what's her full name then?"

"Is this some sort of interrogation, dad? Do I need a lawyer?"

"No, just curious..." Garred said evasively.

"Fine. Her name is Harria Hillis, at least that's the name she told us," Primus responded flippantly.

"The name she told you? Why would she lie about her name?"

"She dropped a couple of hints that her aunt or something is someone way up in the Asari hierarchy. Maybe she's even Sapphire Circle. You know how they like their privacy," Primus said, his attention focused more on the game now. "It would make sense. The last time she went away on a trip she returned much sooner than expected and was pretty evasive of what happened but it was bad I think. Still nothing on the news about it."

"Strange. When was that last trip? Maybe I can find something about it..."

"Dad, please don't go all super spy on my friends! I've got enough problems at school already..."

"Alright, Alright. I won't. But please, for my own peace of mind," Garred said, hands raised in a placating gesture which was completely lost on the kid.

"Fine. Just promise me you won't embarrass me!"

"I promise. Thump my chest and bow my head," Garred solemnly swore in the Turian equivalent of the pinky oath.

"Geez, dad. I'm twelve, not five!" Primus cried outraged. "I think her last trip was two years ago. Can't remember the planet though. Some place starting with 'M' I think."

"Medes?" Garred asked, heart suddenly beating faster in his breast.

"Maybe... Where is it?" Primus replied, unaware of his father's sudden dread.

"Somewhere isolated in the Traverse."

"Could be. Why? Do you know something about what happened?"

"No, nothing. Just came across the planet's name some time ago. It's probably unrelated," Garred waved it off. Over the years he had become very proficient at hiding things from his family. It was a necessity and they were quite aware of it. They understood. Still, he didn't like it.

His son was so immersed in his game, he never noticed Garred leaving, deep in thought. After almost two years here was a first clue, coming from the unlikeliest of places: his own son. When he had dug for information after Medes he had hit stonewall after stonewall. It was as if Medes ceased to exist in all public records. He wasn't even able to get the name of the Asari scientist that had almost been raped or captured into slavery. He had cursed himself for not recording the confrontation as without a picture he couldn't even use face recognition software. Stupid rookie mistake!

All the pieces he had found so far pointed at one thing: Someone really powerful did not want anyone finding out. Which made sense. Whoever that kid on Medes was, she shouldn't have been there. She was either the result of some clandestine experiment by the Asari or - less likely - an entirely new species.

However now a new avenue had opened itself. Previously Garred had assumed the Asari scientist could have been almost anyone out of hundreds of billions of Asari throughout the galaxy. The information Primus had provided made him suspect she was herself a person of interest, probably closely related to one of the top fifty Asari families. She was also most likely an archaeologist, not a biologist like he had first assumed.

He quickly made for his heavily fortified office from where he could access almost any information he was privy to - which as a spectre was a _lot_. He would probably not need it though. Archeology wasn't a prestigious field, so he didn't expect many results on his already much narrowed down search.

He was proven correct when after only two hours of work he was left with ten names. All of them fit the criteria and looked close enough to the Asari he had seen on Medes. Sadly he hadn't perfect recall like the Salarians or Drell, so after two years her face was a bit fuzzy in his memory. Two of the names gave him headaches. The rest were members of cadet lines and while they were more protected than the average citizen he could easily question them under his spectre authority. Jillia T'Oris and Liara T'Soni however were daughters of the family Matriarch or her designated successor and therefore directly in line to succeed the current head of family. Even he couldn't approach them without some evidence - which he didn't have. The council would roast him alive if he even accused the daughter or granddaughter of Matriarchs Benezia or Caralissa of illegal activities without a shred of evidence, much less question them.  
He only hoped he would find his mysterious woman and her kid under the eight approachable ones.

* * *

**AN:** It's been a long time since I had to use latin, so forgive me if I made some errors. The inscription 'I. FIGVLVS. I. F. DISC. GRYFFINDORIS. FECIT. A. DO. MLXXV' is modeled after the inscription on the Pantheon in Rome. Without the abbreviations it would be written 'Iacobus Figulus Iohannis filius, discipulus Gryffindoris me fecit anno domini MLXXV'. Translated it means 'Jakobus Potter, Johannes' son, Gryffindor's apprentice/follower/student, built me in the year of our Lord 1075'.

Google/wiki Heraldic achievement for some examples. The symbology should be pretty straightforward. Oh, and bonus brownie points for those who guess where the Potter motto comes from.

The flying umbrella is a nod to Mary Poppins. I've read it in a fic before, but don't remember the name.

Chapter 8 was growing rather long, so I decided to split it in half (more or less). The second part will be posted near the end of the week.


	9. There and Back Again - Part 2

**AN:** Thanks again to all those that took the time to review. Special thanks to my betas Debye and Aella. You are awesome!

FFnet apparently swallowed the Latin inscription because it looked like an URL. Pfft...  
The error has been corrected but here is the inscription again for those interested but too lazy to check for themselves: 'I. FIGVLVS. I. F. DISC. GRYFFINDORIS. FECIT. A. DO. MLXXV'

A quick reminder: In this story I assume that the Dursleys have been cruel and emotionally neglected Harry, but they weren't physically abusive or starving him, at least not to the point of broken bones and stunted growth. It's canon that, growing up before Hogwarts, Harry had enough to eat but wasn't allowed to indulge himself (check The Sorting chapter in PS), and I don't believe Harry's accidental magic would have allowed him to be really hurt by Vernon or Dudley. He might have gotten a few cuffs to the head and a few punches in the gut over the years, which isn't okay but far from being beaten half to death on several occasions like in so many fanfics out there.  
There's also the problem of the first three books being written for children and not teenagers or young adults. There is a difference. What's okay in one isn't in the other. JKR wanted Harry to be Cinderella, the Dursleys the wicked stepmother and -sisters and Dumbledore the fairy godmother. Nobody questions why the godmother didn't just free Cinderella. As you can tell by the rating, this isn't a children's story, but I still try to stay in the given framework.  
The Dursleys have paid. The parents have been to prison, Vernon lost his job. Dudley lived with his Aunt Marge for most of the past four years.

Now as promised the second part of Chapter 8. Chapter 9 is almost finished as well, but I think I'll wait a bit. I actually like having a bit of a buffer.

**Last time:** Arriving on Earth, Potter Hall, Remus and Hagrid, more fun with Fawkes, Visiting the Vakarians  
**This time:** Diagon Alley, even more fun with Fawkes, Dumbledore

* * *

**Chapter 8: There and Back Again Part 2**

_Wednesday, 31 July 1991  
8:30  
Potter Hall, near Oxford_

Harry was giddy. Today was not only his birthday but he would finally get his own wand. Remus had cautioned him that he wasn't allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts until he was of age at seventeen but Harry didn't intend to listen. He was eager to try some of the spells he had found in his books and test a few of his and Liara's theories. What's the worst that could happen?

Remus would drop by at nine to accompany him to Diagon Alley where Hagrid would already wait for them. Today would be a day of many firsts. His first travel by floo. His first foray into the magical world outside this house. The first time he would see goblins. His first wand. And the first time he had to confront his new fame.

Apparently he was known as the Boy-Who-Lived because Voldemort tried to kill him and failed in a spectacular and for the Dark Lord lethal way. Personally he thought the whole thing sounded fishy.  
How could he have defeated the most feared and powerful Dark Lord in history (at least according to the newest books) when he was still in his nappies? The books he had read so far didn't give a sufficient answer. Most supported the theory that he was simply more powerful than Voldemort. Others attributed it to a fluke. He would have to ask Dumbledore when the man finally showed himself.

What it meant for his immediate future was that people would notice him and expect things he might not be able to deliver. It had the potential to be a major annoyance.  
Ideally Harry would have blended into the background, never attracting any attention, positive or negative. Being a celebrity he would be under close scrutiny from the start.  
He would have to see how things progressed. If someone came too close to suspect where he really lived they would just have to pack up and leave. After all they had already copied a fair section of the library. Still though, there were many books left to digitalize.  
Harry couldn't simply let Glyph, the drone-VI Liara had used to copy a whole library in one night, out to do the job. What if someone was watching? So Harry had to physically carry the books from the manor to a clearing in the forest they felt was safe. Furthermore as to not arouse suspicion he couldn't do that all day. And ultimately the VI wasn't designed to handle handwritten recordings. Liara had already sent a message to her Quarian friend to get her to write an update on that front.

_The entrance to Diagon Alley is hidden in the backyard of the 'The Leaky Cauldron', a dark pub that looks strange in the middle of London, as if it doesn't belong. You have to tap a special brick (three up, two to the left from the cracked one above the dustbin) on the wall with your wand three times to open an archway to the Alley.  
I'm not really sure what to think about Diagon Alley. I'm really looking forward to learn magic, the snippets Sev has shared only made me more excited about it and the street itself looks really beautiful, like from the last century or some old movie. During my first five minutes alone I saw so many interesting and amazing things! My favourite was this really beautiful moving model of the galaxy in a glass ball. It looked amazing!  
However the strange and scary atmosphere almost made me turn back. Those frightened people were wizards and witches? Nobody made eye contact and they seemed to hurry from shop to shop, never stopping to greet anyone. I almost expected rain clouds instead of the sunny weather.  
Professor McGonagall had explained about the war that just started, but I hadn't realized how bad it really is. The Professor made it sound as if it was nothing to worry about, but now that I've seen the faces of the people in Diagon Alley, I have to wonder...  
- Lily Evans, July the 10th, 1971_

Harry reread the entry in his mother's diary for the third time. The journals of his parents provided him with the closure he never really knew he had needed. Together with the stories Remus and Hagrid told him they made them more real. He didn't mourn them, didn't even miss them anymore as he used to when he was little, but it was good to finally get to know them, even indirectly. The journals also had much practical value. They weren't simple diaries, only concerned with personal matters. They were that too but usually constrained themselves to really important events, instead they were an odd mixture of study notes, random bits of interest and doodles.

Both James and Lily noted major breakthroughs in their understanding of various subjects, in turn helping Harry understand his textbooks better. James was apparently an even greater prankster than Harry was, evidenced by several very detailed plans to prank the whole world it seemed. Lily in turn loved to experiment with potions. Harry hadn't gotten too far, only until second year, but his mother had already improved several potions she had to brew for her classes. The improvements were minor things, but still.

Potions was a subject that interested Harry greatly, as it appealed to his more practical nature. He was already quite skilled at chemistry for his age and from what he read the two were at least somewhat similar. Although in true magical fashion things didn't seem to make much sense. How was it possible that left and right steering had different results? The explanations in the more advanced books he had skimmed through - they were much too difficult for him to really understand yet - made his eyes water in frustration and even his mother's findings didn't help much.

Liara didn't fare much better. She focused more on the history of magic, trying to get a clear picture how the society had evolved. Unlike the normal Humans however, the magicals hadn't really gotten the point of the scientific method, which was evident in all fields. There were lots and lots of pseudo-scientific books that really just repeated in different words what someone else already wrote a hundred years before. Proof consisted of 'Hey look, do this and it works.' or 'The great So-And-So tells us...'. Worst of all most of them contradicted each other.

True to that form, the history books were chock full of anecdotal snippets, irrelevant information or what Liara disdainfully called 'stories written by the winner, designed to make the other look bad'. Independent and balanced research was obviously not a common practice. It was all about proving your original thought right. So far the only person that showed even an inclination of well thought out reasoning had been Harry's mother. But Liara and Harry had barely scratched the surface.

"Hello! Harry, are you there?"

Hearing Remus calling from the entrance hall, Harry closed the book and hopped from the chair. Greeting the man with a huge grin, Harry was ready to go, as he had been for almost an hour.

"So remember Harry: Tuck your elbows in, state your destination - Diagon Alley - clearly and close your eyes," Remus reminded him for the second time. "Don't worry, flootravel is quite safe. The worst that can happen is that you exit through the wrong chimney. In that case just ask anyone there for help. Hagrid's already waiting and I'll be close behind you. Now grab a pinch of floo powder, throw it into the fire and step in."

As soon as the greyish substance which closely resembled ash was consumed by the flames, they turned green. Cautiously Harry stepped into the fireplace like he had seen Hagrid and Remus do several times already. They were comfortably warm, like standing in the shade on a hot day with a slight breeze blowing. When he opened his mouth to speak, he breathed in a lot of ash. His cough of 'D-D-Dia-gon Alley' probably couldn't be considered 'clear'.

He wasn't certain if he liked that form of travel. It was fast, true, but the feeling was positively nauseating. Harry had been curious and left his eyes wide open. Big mistake. He spun around like crazy while a deafening whoosh roared in his ears. His whole body felt like it was sucked through the chimney which in retrospect was much too slim even for him. He had no idea how Hagrid fared. Then something struck his elbow. Hard. He squinted through his half-closed eyes and saw a flurry of fireplaces and glimpses of the rooms beyond. And just as he thought he would lose his breakfast it was over. He pitched forward and crashed onto cold stone.

'_Harry? Are you alright?_' Liara called hesitantly. '_Your heart rate spiked for a moment but everything else looks fine. Where are you? Your transmitter places you in London, near Charing Cross Road._'

Struggling to his feet, Harry took stock of himself and his surroundings. He was covered in soot and a bit bruised but otherwise appeared to be unharmed. It was dark where he was, not pitch black but the light that shone through the dirty window did a bad job illuminating the place. It was obviously a shop and not a pub like it was supposed to be and if that didn't clue him in, the distinct absence of Hagrid was a dead giveaway.

'_I'm fine, Liara. That's one hell of a way to travel. I'm in some kind of shop. Let me have a look around._'

Harry was lost. It wasn't all bad. He knew the muggle entrance to the Leaky Cauldron was in Charing Cross Road so he was probably just in some shop in the Alley.

Still Harry didn't like it here. The place felt _bad_ in an unexplainable way. The items on display ranged from strange to gruesome. There was even a severed and shriveled Human hand. Looking out of the window, Harry saw a narrow, dirty street which quite obviously wasn't Diagon Alley. Just as he wanted to leave, Harry saw a family of three making their way towards the door. They looked rich and had an arrogant air around them.

Harry didn't know why, but he didn't want to bump into anyone here, especially covered in soot and a slight headache from the spinning and his crashlanding. Besides, this place made his skin crawl. Deciding quickly, Harry dashed for a cabinet where he could hide.

As soon as the door opened, a bell rang through the shop, summoning the old shopkeeper.

"Ah, Mister Malfoy! What a pleasant surprise! And you brought your lovely wife and son. How charming!" Harry was amazed at the insincerity oozing out of the man.

"Good morning, Mr. Burgin. Since I was in the Alley to outfit my son for Hogwarts, I thought it convenient to see what new items you had for sale." Harry could almost imagine the nose of the speaker hitting the ceiling. He had never heard someone as snobbish and arrogant before and considering some of the brownnosers that surrounded the Matriarch Benezia that was saying something. Risking a peak he got a closer look. The shopkeeper standing behind the counter was bent by age. His greasy hair was in need of a good wash and he could probably audition for a role as movie villain - or rather his impish assistant.

By contrast the tall, blond man, whose face Harry could only see in profile, exuded arrogance and sophistication. He seemed the type that looked down on anyone as if they were dirt beneath the sole of his boots. He was more the James Bond supervillain type, only taller and with better coifed hair. The woman, whose face he saw better, was an austere beauty, holding herself rigid and trying not to show revulsion but failing miserably. The boy was about Harry's age, with a pointy chin and an expression as if he owned the shop and possibly the world. He reminded Harry of Nassana Dantius, his old wannabe tormentor. All three wore what Harry with his limited knowledge judged to be expensive wizarding robes.

Thankfully it didn't took them long to resolve their business. The man went into the backroom with the shopkeep while his wife - Narcissa, he gathered from the conversation - took the son - Draco - back to the Alley. Harry waited for thirty seconds and followed them out, hoping to tail the duo.

The street he found himself in reminded him of the vids he had seen of Omega. He didn't like it here, an apparently neither did Liara. It was a bad place.

'_Harry, get yourself out of there! Don't stop if someone speaks to you. Keep your head down and walk steadily in the direction the two went,_' she advised him, clearly preoccupied. '_Don't make eye someone grabs you, try to shake them off or hit them in the elbow and run. Kick them if you have to, but don't scream._'

Harry, who had no intention of staying longer than necessary, did as he was told. A few unsavoury looking people tried to get his attention but he moved on quickly, never looking at them, except out of the corner of his eyes. One even made to grab for him, but he was slow and Harry twisted out of the way. He increased his pace.

Suddenly he was out in a sunny street. Blinking he took in his new surroundings. This looked much more like the Diagon Alley his mother had described. There was the cobblestone street and right beside him was the white marble building of Gringotts. However, before he could take in more he was picked up like an errant kitten by a much relieved Hagrid.

"There yeh are, Harry!" he exclaimed, crushing him in a hug. "Told ya he would turn up."

"Yes you did," Remus said, no less relieved than Hagrid. "Still, Knockturn Alley... I'm just glad you got safely out of there, Harry."

"I'm fine, nothing I couldn't handle," Harry boasted. In truth he was glad to have escaped.

"Next time, don't breath in while standing in the fire," Remus advised him while getting rid of the soot with a quick wave of his wand. "Hold your breath and exhale while speaking your destination. That should do the trick."

"Right. Got it," Harry said with a nod. "Now, Gringotts?"

Gringotts was a marvel. It was an amazing place, an odd mixture of British and Roman Empire architecture, decoration and atmosphere.  
The goblins looked strange and fierce in their Victorian uniforms, with many sharp teeth that reminded Liara of the Vorcha. Remus had given Harry - and therefore Liara as well - a short introduction into wizarding economy while going over Harry's estate. Liara described it as a currency based bartering system and not a proper financial system. Farms, stores, manufactories and buildings were wholly owned by private citizens or families like the Potters. Most of the wealth was concentrated on a few powerful families or individuals.  
There was no stock market and only a few trading companies who held monopolies on certain imported and exported goods. Harry owned one of the smaller trading companies, as well as three stores in Diagon Alley, one in Hogsmeade, some farms and manufactories as well as several apartment buildings in the magical district of London. There were also some overseas properties and plantages, a legacy of imperial times. They made a tidy profit and from what Harry understood the Potters were one of the top fifty wealthiest magical families in Britain and probably the world.

Gringotts was not only a marvel but also a bit of a mystery. It was called a bank but it was not like Harry and Liara understood the term. It was more like a private secure storage provider. People rented vaults from the goblins with the guarantee that the possessions inside would be kept safe. They didn't offer investments - except co-financing tomb raiding expeditions - and money deposited at Gringotts didn't even collect interest. They gave loans to horrendous conditions so very few except the desperate bothered. They were almost like the Jewish moneylenders during the earlier Middle Ages. They also bought and sold precious stones as well as valuable artefacts. Finally they exchanged muggle money into wizarding money for a fee, but what they did with the pounds wasn't clear to Harry.

The teller goblin was very short with them, only demanding Harry's key which Remus had given him the day before. Hagrid had some additional business for Hogwarts which involved some mysterious 'You-Know-What' in vault 713.

A short, but thrilling ride down some mine shafts later found Harry standing in front of a large pile of money. Intellectually he had known what to expect. He had seen galleons, sickles and knuts before. He knew they were made of solid gold, silver and bronze respectively. It wasn't even the amount. The Alexandria held more gold in its cargo bay than this vault. Yet there was something to the shape of the coin, especially when it was made of gold, that spoke of wealth like nothing else. Plain numbers like the credit system used throughout the galaxy just couldn't compare although it was vastly superior in all other aspects.

'_By the goddess! That rivals some of the Egyptian tombs!_'

"You can say that again."

"What was that Harry? I didn't quite hear you," Remus asked confused.

"Nothing, just amazed by all this," Harry tried to evade the question by bending low and scooping several handful into his new money bag. It had been a birthday gift from Remus who had charmed it himself. It was another of those amazing yet almost frivolous examples of magic: The bag was much bigger on the inside than on the outside, disregarding some of the most fundamental laws of physics. At least the second feature was easier understandable, but how the bag could stay almost weightless regardless of how much was inside without an energy source was a different matter.

Soon they were back in the mining cart and Hagrid once again struggled valiantly to keep his breakfast down.

"Say Remus," Harry asked. "Why are there 29 knuts to the sickle and 17 sickles to the galleon? It doesn't make much sense, does it? I mean, they are prime numbers. Wouldn't it be easier to use something that is evenly divisible?"

"What do you mean Harry?" Remus asked intrigued. Harry had quickly learned that he was much more open to logical thought than Hagrid. The half-giant was nice enough and Harry had become to like him very much for his easy going attitude, funny stories and amicable manner, but he was very set in his ways and a bit simple. It wasn't that he was stupid, just that the questions Harry plagued himself with didn't hold much meaning to the gentle giant.

"Well, if we two got one galleon to share, each one of us would get eight sickles and fourteen knuts but there would still be one knut left. Same goes for any number of people under seventeen. There'll always be at least one knut left. And how often do you have to share something between seventeen people? I understand a Knut isn't much but it's just... inelegant."

He had wanted to say stupid but caught himself just in time. Harry could almost see the gears turning as Remus thought about it. Apparently mathematics wasn't something that was needed in the magical world. Finally the man nodded in cautious understanding.

"I think I understand, but I've never thought about it, to be honest. It's just the way it is."

"Less talkin'! Yer makin' me head spin," Hagrid groaned from the backseat.

After Hagrid had retrieved a little package from what was obviously a very secure vault, they returned to the Alley. Hagrid staunchly refused to say what was in the package, only saying Dumbledore trusted him with it, the pride in his voice evident.

It was decided that it would be best to get his school robes first. Hagrid begged off to the Cauldron to get something to settle his stomach, after it had been turned upside down by the cart ride. Remus wanted to visit the bookshop to ask for some books about the history of wizarding money. Apparently Harry's question had stirred his curiosity, so it was only Harry who entered _Madam Malkin's Robes for Every Occasion_. He was soon ushered into the back of the shop to be fitted for his school robes.

To his horror the blonde boy from earlier already stood on a box, getting his new robes adjusted. Even worse he started to make small talk with Harry. After only three sentences from the boy Harry was certain he was a male version of Nassana. The way he talked about how he would get his father to smuggle him a broom into school spoke volumes about his character. It wasn't the breaking of rules, but rather that he felt entitled to be above them. Harry was no saint but he knew going against the rules was wrong somehow.  
Harry tried to remain noncommittal and kept his answers short, hoping to discourage the other but to no avail. However when Draco started to talk about the Hogwarts houses, Harry couldn't help himself.

"So what house do you think you'll be in?" the blonde asked.

"I thought we get sorted at Hogwarts?" Harry asked in return. He had already heard and read about the houses, the rivalries and to his private glee about the sorting method. Apparently it was custom to keep the new students in the dark, but between the journals of his parents he had a pretty clear picture.

"Well, I guess you're right. No one really knows until after the sorting, but I know I'll be in Slytherin. All my family was. But imagine ending up in Hufflepuff or even worse, Gryffindor! I think I would go straight home, wouldn't you?"

"Well, my mum and dad were both in Gryffindor, so I think I would stay," Harry said with a smirk. He really hoped that would shut the boy up. Apparently it wasn't too effective.

"My word, look at that oaf!" Malfoy shouted a minute later, pointing at Hagrid who tapped at the window and waved at Harry. The boy seriously started to piss Harry off. Thankfully the witch fitting his clothes was done by now.

"That's Hagrid. He's part of the Hogwarts staff. Gotta go now, bye!" he hoped Draco would get the drift. As part of the staff, Hagrid was a figure of authority and could get him into trouble. At least Harry hoped.

Outside, Hagrid greeted him with some ice-cream. "So already makin' friends?"

"Hardly," Harry drawled, trying to imitate what he had gone through over the last twenty minutes. He couldn't keep it up. "That boy insulted Gryffindor and Hufflepuff! Thought Slytherin was the only choice worth anything."

"Hrmph... Nothin' good comes out of that house, I tell yeh," Hagrid was quick to agree. "Wasn't a bad wizard who wasn't in Slytherin. Even You-Know-Who was one."

"Really? Voldemort... Sorry... he was a Slytherin? How do you know?" Harry was growing tired of everyone flinching when he said the name, but he refused to use any other. Liara had tried to find something, anything, about Voldemort before his rise as the Dark Lord but had come up with nothing. It had frustrated her to no end. In her opinion it was an insult to her profession to disregard a historical person's biography before their rise to fame.

"Forget that I said that, Harry. I shouldn't be talkin' about that," Hagrid tried to back out.

"Come on Hagrid, why can't you tell me?"

"Sorry, Harry. I really shouldn't."

"Fine," Harry grumbled. Sometimes he felt like bashing his head against a rock. It would be less painful.

They ate their ice-cream in front of Flourish and Blotts, the biggest bookshop in the Alley. Remus soon joined them, apparently having had no luck in finding anything interesting. Suddenly Hagrid exclaimed that he still needed to buy Harry a present for his birthday. Harry tried to assure him it wasn't necessary, but the half-giant wouldn't hear of it. He quickly decided a pet was just the thing. Since students were only allowed to have toads, cats and owls, and he had something against cats and toads they went off to the Owl Emporium.

Ten minutes later Harry was the proud owner of a gorgeous snow owl. Liara had tried to give him grief over radio, but in the end relented. She had to agree it was a beautiful bird. And according to Hagrid quite useful and not only by keeping the local rat population down. He and Remus explained how owls were used to deliver post and could find the recipients almost everywhere unless they didn't want to be found. It was again a mystery without an answer as neither Remus nor Hagrid could tell him why and how it worked. Owls were just the ideal postmen.

Since Harry didn't want to have his new pet perched on his shoulder the whole day or dragging her cage with him everywhere, he decided to solve two problems in one. Yet there was a minor problem: he had no paper or pen with him.

While Remus was still patting his pockets for something to write, Hagrid came up with the most practical solution and they went for the magical stationery shop. When he saw what the wizards used to write Harry let out an exasperated groan.

"No way I'm going to write with a bloody quill! I've got enough problems using a pen! And haven't you people heard of paper and notebooks?" Harry had already moaned about having to go back to write by hand instead of typing or even dictating. His hand often cramped from the unfamiliar strain, making anything written after five minutes just barely legible. No way he was going to be able to use a quill which was even less ergonomic. And he seriously doubted the rolls and stacks of loose parchment would work well with his natural untidiness. Order was for those weak of mind but there were limits even Harry wouldn't cross.

Remus and Hagrid only gave him puzzled looks. Sighing theatrically Harry went to search for the quill with the thickest stem. Some ink pots and enough parchment to last a dark age monastery a whole year and he was done. He didn't intend to use any of it, if he could help it.

His opinion on the writing utensils of choice in the wizarding world was vindicated as soon as he tried to write a letter to Professor Dumbledore. With a look of extreme concentration and a viselike grip on the quill he scraped out an invitation for tea on Sunday, leaving many ink stains in his wake. Remus and Hagrid watched as if they had never seen someone write.

"Blimey, Harry!" Hagrid exclaimed with a small laugh. "Yeh better brush up yer writin' for Hogwarts. Yer even worse than me!"

"I know how to write, Hagrid," Harry said irritably. "Just haven't done it in a long time. And this quill is killing my hand!"

Harry let Hagrid show him how to tie the roll to his new owl's leg and he then sent her off after being reassured that she would find her way back to him, once the letter was delivered and a response given. Neither Remus nor Hagrid could explain how the owl would find Dumbledore or him. Harry was startled how quickly he accepted the futility of questioning the weirdness of it all. He would need to make a list of all the questions that needed answering.

The rest of the shopping went by without a hitch, though many people stared at Harry as if half-recognizing him. Curiously some peered intently at his forehead but apparently didn't find what they were looking for. It was a minor oddity amidst a sea of enigmas, riddles and mysteries, so Harry didn't give it much thought.

Remus once again kicked physics in the shin by shrinking all his new things and putting them into his pockets. Much to the renewed awe and frustration of both Liara and Harry.

Then it was time to buy Harry's wand.

Ollivander's was easily the oldest shop in the Alley, incredulously dating back to the 4th century B.C., which was noteworthy as it was one of very few tangible indications that magic actually existed between Ancient Egypt and the time of Merlin. One of the very first things Liara had tried to do was establishing a timeline of magical history.  
The task was easy enough for the last five centuries but further back things were murky at best and near nonexistent before the 8th century. Aside some Greek wizards whose inventions or principles were still in use there was absolutely nothing. Not a single mention was made of the Roman Empire or how wizards and witches figured into it. China, the South American civilizations, Japan, Babylon and other cultures across time and land were equally absent until the statute of secrecy.  
It was almost as if Merlin was at the center of a singularity from which all magic sprang forth, yet there was just enough proof to leave no doubt that magic and magical societies existed from at least the dawn of the first civilizations. But all that remained were some of their monuments, lucrative target for what amounted to grave robbing, but there was no interest to find out who left behind all those riches, how their society worked or even why they build those monuments in the first place.  
Liara had found herself a new obsession.

However, now it was time to buy Harry's first wand.

Ollivander turned out to be a slightly creepy, but still friendly old man, who apparently remembered not only every wand he ever made and sold but also the people he sold them to. One glance at Harry and he immediately recognized him based on his eyes, which he had been told looked just like his mother's, and his almost twinlike appearance to his father.

What followed next was still close enough to what Harry had imagined buying his first wand would be like. While being measured by an independently working tape, the shopkeeper asked him questions like what his wand-hand was and babbling incessantly.  
From what Remus had told him, wands were a very personal thing, so Harry expected his to be made just for him. However, Ollivander let him hold wand after wand which he pulled out of boxes stored throughout his shop and ordered the young boy to give it a wave.  
Sometimes nothing happened and the wand was picked out of his hand almost as soon as it was put there. Sometimes Harry let the wand fall, shocked by the devastating results his waving had. Once he sent a whole cabinet full of boxes flying and scattering all over the place. And once the old wandmaker evaded being blasted out of his shoes just barely by ducking behind his register.

Finally after an hour of testing Ollivander put on a pensive expression and handed him a wand whose box he had to dust off beforehand. "Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

As soon as Harry held it, he knew this wand was different. With a lazy wave - his arm had grown tired with all the waving - he conjured a shower of bright red and gold stars, much to the relief of him and his companions.

"Very curious, Mr. Potter," he said after he plucked the wand out of his grasp. "Very curious indeed."

"What's curious, sir?"

"Why, I remember every wand I have ever made and sold," the old man explained. "The phoenix who donated the feather to this wand here, gave me one other feather. Just one. And it so happens that while you have been chosen by this wand, its brother is responsible for your parents' death."

"You mean, Voldemort... Sorry... has the same wand as this?"

'_Harry, ask him to give you another wand,'_ Liara urged him.

"Oh no! No two wands are the same," Ollivander assured him. "Why, even though their cores come from the same phoenix which makes them brothers, their wood makes them almost polar opposites. Yours here is holly, while He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's wand is made of yew."

Harry still wasn't sure. Liara had a point. He didn't know if he could be comfortable with this wand, knowing what its brother had done. Yet he also knew it was a bad idea to reject this wand. It just felt right.

While he was still undecided, Fawkes appeared in his usual flash of flame, startling everyone but Harry. He was used to the bird by now.

"'Lo Fawkes! What are you doing here? You got a letter from Dumbledore or did you just decide to see me?" Harry asked, quite pleased to see the bird. He always managed to lift his spirits. Except when he purposely crushed them by letting him eat dirt. His question was met with an incredulous stare, as if mocking his intelligence.

After five seconds Harry caught on and groaned.

"Of course... Who else... You gave Ollivander those two feathers, right? You know what the other one did, yes?" Fawkes at least had the decency to look contrite.

"Ah, I see you already befriended Fawkes," Ollivander put in. "That's even better! I believe this wand will serve you very well indeed."

"Fine, I'll buy it. But tell me, you said wands have specialities? Like how my father's was useful for transfiguration and my mother's for charms? What's this one good at?"

"Ah, excellent question! It's so refreshing to have a customer who's interested in the art. I always believed most wizards take their wand for granted, until it is gone," the old man said with a smile. "Phoenix wands are probably the most powerful wands, yet they are also the most temperamental. They're able of the greatest range of magic and don't have one single specialty, yet you will have to work hard for it. Unlike a dragon heartstring wand, new magic will come slowly to you at first, so keep practising. However, once you have gained its allegiance you will find almost no magic beyond you. Beware though, holly and phoenix feather don't generally mix well. The phoenix is known for his aloofness but the holly is very volatile, making their joining _unpredictable_, especially when the wand is wielded by someone unsuitable."

"Fawkes aloof? Say that again?" The bird in question squawked indignantly.

"You however," Ollivander continued as if not interrupted, placing the wand back in Harry's hand. "Are perfectly matched for this wand. I expect to see great things from you, Mr. Potter."

"You almost make them sound like if wands are alive and aware," Harry said, while turning his new wand to look at it from all angles. "But that can't be true, can it?"

"Oh, I would say that our wands are at least half aware," the wandmaker replied pensively. "You can win their allegiance, and lose it again, if you are not careful. Unicorn wands are very loyal from the moment they choose their wizard and seldom waver. Dragon are fickle and may drop their allegiance to someone who beats their owner when the stakes are high enough. Phoenix doesn't give their trust easily but once gained, it's almost never lost.  
"Only your own wand or those of very close friends and family will ever feel right to use. You may of course use any wand you like, after you have gained some experience, but the wand will fight you.  
"And that will be seven galleons, Mr. Potter."

Paying quickly Harry rushed out of the store, Remus and Hagrid in tow, glad to be out of the dark store and back in the sunny street. Fawkes obviously decided the show was over and flamed away.

In short order they said their farewells, Remus stopping by at Potter Hall just long enough to make certain Harry had arrived without problems and to unshrink Harry's purchases.  
After his second trip through the chimney, Harry still thought flootravelers must be insane but he could see the perks. This time round he didn't end up in the wrong place and he even managed to catch himself before kissing the floor once more.

* * *

The rest of the week Harry spent finishing reading his textbooks and continue with his parents journals. His owl had returned with a positive reply from Dumbledore.  
Initially he had wanted to name the owl after his favourite Dobhars player Ashiria, but Liara was quick to remind him that he was not to arouse too much suspicion. What was he to say when someone asked why he had chosen such an unusual name?  
Harry was allowed, if asked, to divulge Liara's name since on itself it wouldn't give away anything. Thankfully Earth had so many cultures that T'Soni could very well be an African or other native name.  
He finally settled to name his owl Hedwig after a famous witch he had read about in his history book. The name was graciously approved by the owl in question by gently nipping Harry's finger.

When shopping in Diagon Alley, Harry had tricked his guides into buying not only the standard potion kit for first years, but also some surplus. He suspected Remus had noticed the deception, but the werewolf hadn't said anything except in the vaguest terms that if anything happened to call him.

Following both the textbook's and his mother's instructions, both Harry and Liara - apparently anyone could brew potions - were easily able to produce a simple potion that according to the notes could cure boils in seconds. Sadly - or thankfully - Harry hadn't hit that stage in his puberty yet where he could have tested that potion.

Despite their success it was also really frustrating. Most of the instructions like how much of an ingredient had to be added or how long the cauldron had to stay on the flame made sense or were at least familiar. It wasn't that different from advanced chemistry. Equally some of the suggestions by Lily were easily understandable like a slightly different method of preparing the ingredients that saved time or produced better results or instead of strictly adhering to the given amounts look for certain telltale signs in the brew.  
However some instructions were just crazy. One of the things Harry especially wanted to test was how the number and orientation of the stirs influenced the result. Obviously it did as the first variation they tried, at one step stirring left instead of right, caused the cauldron to boil over.  
Not giving up they soon noticed that both the number and orientation was sometimes important, sometimes not. At one step it was beneficial to insert a single stir in the opposite direction, cutting down on the time immensely, while during a different step such an action proved to be disastrous. Thankfully they did their brewing in the _Alexandria's_ lab behind a splatter screen and wearing protective gear and not in the potions lab at Harry's new house. Apparently a tiled table was the height of potion lab equipment.  
Harry was especially thankful for the ventilation. Some of the fumes smelled worse than vomit! Despite the rampant illogic, Harry felt that simply trying things out gave him a better understanding. The second potion they tried, something to remove warts, he could already tell where improvements could be made. Liara however was as clueless as before. She could follow the instructions well enough, producing perfectly brewed potions, but didn't seem to have the intuitive understanding Harry had. Maybe that was the reason magicals developed potions while muggles didn't, as apparently magical skill wasn't needed during the brewing itself.

Not everything was going well however. From his father's notes Harry learned that the Ministry of Magic had some way to track underage magic, making the law enforceable. James had found that out by purposely casting a spell deep in the woods only to have a ministry owl delivering a warning less than an hour later. Nobody had seen him performing the simple transfiguration, yet someone knew the moment he had.  
To avoid the same, they decided to wait to know more about how the Ministry did their surveillance.

Much to Harry's dismay he found out through his mother's diary, that his father was a bit of a bully. Lily was quick to note that he wasn't all bad, but more than once called him an arrogant toerag. What was worrisome was that James treated Lily's best friend Severus Snape especially bad, sometimes going out of his way to bully him. How did they ever fall in love?  
Harry felt bad at first for the boy his father tormented and even James suspicion that Snape was an aspiring Death Eater, who was trying to seduce Lily only to hurt her and was therefore fair game didn't make him feel better.

Those thoughts and feelings changed rapidly the further he got through the journals though. As the war during his parents' time progressed outside Hogwarts, the camps solidified inside the school as well. James observed several times how Snape was part of a group hurting muggleborn and treating them cruelly, especially lower years, and not only as a watcher but a full participant. Thankfully Lily wasn't one of them although at the end of their fifth year, his mother and Snape had a final falling out after an already tense year.  
Yes, his father had been a bully at times, Remus confirmed as much. To his credit the old marauder, as they called themselves, didn't seem proud of what he and his friends had done at Hogwarts in their earlier years. James wasn't a bad man either and became a staunch protector of those in need in his sixth year. Apparently his mother had much to do with his change of attitude. James the sixth year, according to Remus, still retained a mischievous streak a mile wide but it was now focused on those deserving it. He even saved Snape at one point from both his nosiness and a vicious prank by Sirius Black.

Hearing about the betrayal of Sirius Black, James' almost-brother, was the hardest blow.

After reading about the great friendship between his father and the other boy, Harry had wanted to know what happened to him. He had assumed Sirius and Peter Pettigrew, the fourth marauder, had died in the war, but the truth was even uglier than his father being a bully.

Sirius Black had betrayed his best friend to Voldemort for the promise of power, plain and simple. He was the reason why Harry was an orphan and Pettigrew dead as well as thirteen innocent bystanders.  
Thankfully Black was rotting in prison. Harry was determined to not waste a second thought on the disgusting man, something both Remus and Liara had approved of wholeheartedly.

* * *

_Sunday, 4 August 1991  
16:55  
Library, Potter Hall_

Harry was nervous of this meeting, there was no denying it. It would decide if he could stay on Earth and attend Hogwarts like he wanted to or not.

It all hinged on one man, Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. An impressive man with an impressive name.

Liara had read everything she could find on him over the last week and tried to draw up a profile of the person behind the name and the almost myth. Dumbledore was by wide acclaim the most powerful wizard alive. In his time he had confronted and beaten the most successful Dark Lord, a man named Grindelwald who according to what was written between the lines was almost solely responsible for World War II, and held at bay the probably most powerful Dark Lord in history, Voldemort.  
He was also the most influential political figure in both magical Britain and the world, heading the ruling body of the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards as Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump respectively.

Added to that he was widely credited as the foremost academic of the current century, a dubious distinction due to the stagnant nature of the magical world, but a distinction nonetheless. The man was clearly intelligent and from what Liara could tell from his works actually capable of logic and limited scientific thinking.

He had also solely decided Harry's fate after he had been orphaned and not done too well. As he was Hogwarts' Headmaster, Harry would once again place himself under the man's authority, if he went there. All taken together it made for a possibly dangerous combination. Dumbledore was smart and powerful enough to endanger the secret Harry was keeping and Liara might have to interact with the man at some point, further weakening their defence. Worst, he had already shown an abnormal interest in Harry which was only partially explainable by Harry being the hailed saviour, the Boy-Who-Lived.

'_Good morning, Harry,_' Benezia's voice came over his ear-implant. Given the important nature of the meeting and Dumbledore's political background, Liara had decided to ask her mother to join them live, instead of only reporting in at the end of the day. The Matriarch had agreed, even cleared up her schedule for it.

"Hello, Aunt Benezia," Harry said out loud, his nervousness making him forget to keep up the ruse of talking to himself when at the house. "And it's afternoon here in Britain. You know, we take our tea at five o'clock."

'_So you do,_' the Asari chuckled. She could tell Harry was wound up. '_But here it's early morning. Forgive an old woman her ignorance. I haven't had my tea yet._' Her early morning grumpiness before getting her fix of the Asari's equivalent of black tea, which Liara had inherited, was legendary. For that she showed great restraint. Staying on Earth would have been a problem for the younger T'Soni as well if she hadn't discovered on her first stint on Earth that coffee was a passable substitute.

The three fell into silence while they were waiting, Harry in his new library, Liara in low geosynchronous orbit above Britain and Benezia in her study on Thessia, each occupied with their own activities.  
Harry was reading a recounting of Dumbledore's duel with Grindelwald while idly petting Hedwig who loved the attention. It was the eleventh version of the tale by - amazingly - only nine different authors. This one was particularly gruesome, making the reader believe Dumbledore waded through a sea of blood before finally confronting the Dark Lord, unleashing powers that almost sundered the Earth. It was also the least plausible of the lot so far. Still it might not have been the best choice in reading for the moment. Reading how one of Dumbledore's few companions had his spleen ripped out by a nasty curse was not aiding his nerves.

Liara was also worried, maybe even more than Harry. She would have talked the others' ears off like she was prone to do, but thankfully she was preoccupied with reading and rereading everything she had compiled about Dumbledore.

Benezia meanwhile sat at her table and slurped her morning tea in complete calm, the datapad with her own file on Dumbledore lying half-forgotten on the table in front of her. Every once in awhile she took a bite out of what Harry had called a seaweed roll. Centuries of experience had toughened her to the point she seldom displayed anything but exactly what she wanted to show. Was she worried? If she were truthful, a bit but not much. She had noticed the hidden patterns in the political history of the magical world that only a skilled politician could discern. Dumbledore was a bit naive and desperately trying to keep the balance in a world in which one side was mercilessly and often violently trying to advance their agenda and the other couldn't be arsed to care unless it was almost too late. In the beginning Dumbledore had tried for change, but lately he had his plate full bringing the magical world back to the point it had been thirty years ago. Benezia had to admit the wizard was crafty and he had a lot of experience, but he also needed Harry for some reason, probably as a symbol. It was always good to negotiate from a position of power. It helped that Dumbledore's political agenda was not dissimilar from Benezia's own, although in, for now, completely unrelated societies.

There was a sharp knock from Harry's immediate left. The boy jumped out of his seat, startled. Hedwig gave an indignant squawk; his sudden movement had upset her.

"What was that?" he asked the empty library.

'_What was what, Harry?_' Liara asked curiously.

"That noise! Like as if someone's knocking but it was right beside me." Harry tried to explain when the knock sounded again. This time it was in front of Harry, as if coming from the door. "There it is again!"

'_I don't hear anything. I hate to say it, but could it be magic?_' Benezia asked, slightly bemused.

Indeed it was. Apparently the doorknocker was charmed to be heard throughout the manor. Dumbledore had arrived.

Harry had seen pictures of the man before, so he wasn't surprised by the old wizard who despite his garish robes looked like Gandalf's twin. All that was missing was a staff and he seemed ready to guide some hobbits to Mount Doom. Perched on his shoulder was Fawkes who gave a squawk in greeting.

"Good evening, sir," Harry said politely. They all had their misgivings about the man, but discourtesy at this point wouldn't accomplish anything. "Hello Fawkes. Please come in."

"Good evening, Harry," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Thank you for your hospitality. It's good to finally see you again."

They soon settled down for tea and biscuits. Harry had been extensively coached for this meeting, as much as time allowed. Asari and Human customs were similar in this regard. Both called for some small talk over tea to get a feel for the other person, while more serious matters were to be discussed later.

For the next hour Dumbledore was happy to entertain the young boy and the two invisible listeners he knew nothing about. He asked a few questions, but they were of a sufficiently general nature that Harry was easily able to answer them without giving away anything useful. While Dumbledore learned that Harry liked sports, building things and had just recently discovered potions for himself, his answers to Harry's and thus indirectly Liara's and Benezia's questions were more revealing.

Benezia learned that the Wizengamot was actually quite similar to the Matriarchy. It had a fixed number of seats to which several privileged families - like the Potters - and distinguished persons - like holders of the Order of Merlin 2nd and 1st class as well as graduated Hogwarts Head Students - were entitled to apply when a seat was vacant. Election was by the body itself and except for a few cases was for life.  
Unlike the Matriarchy however, which despite their vast influence and very real power was only an advising body to the e-democracy of the Asari, the Wizengamot was the sole governing body and arbiter of Magical Britain. The close entanglement between the Ministry as the executive body and the Wizengamot also didn't sit well with the Asari politician. The set-up reeked of corruption and nepotism where the wealthy and connected ruled.  
By the way Dumbledore answered certain sly questions, Benezia was assured in her earlier prediction. The aged wizard was a revolutionary at heart but had almost given up on his quest to change the wizarding world for the better. He was also stretched too thin, thanks to his many positions.

Liara was more interested in the war that Harry supposedly had ended. Frankly, what they heard and read about it was appalling.  
Not only did the Ministry and the Wizengamot take almost no action for a long time, but when they finally acted they did little more than try to arrest the Death Eaters. It was clear to the historian that the wizards, including Dumbledore, didn't know how to fight a war. They didn't even have a military!  
The police force as well as the militia formed by Dumbledore only reacted and almost always tried to subdue instead of eliminate, meanwhile the enemy was fighting a guerilla war with fast strikes designed to inspire terror and disorganization.

On the positive side Dumbledore was much more knowledgeable about magic than Remus and Hagrid. He was also an academic and able to at least shed some light on the mystery of magic.  
He was happy to explain the difference between stirring a potion and simply mixing the contents and why it was often beneficial to break a prolonged action up into subsets of magical importance - for example seven stirs in one direction followed by a single stir in the other repeated seven times.  
However he failed to give a satisfying explanation why exactly seven and not any other number, except that it was supposedly the most powerful number. Also, he couldn't answer the more fundamental questions like how transfiguration could change materials from organic dead matter to metal for example, or where the necessary energy came for lifting an object by magic.  
Still, some of his answers at least hinted at an underlying model that might be discovered in time.

During this friendly chat, Dumbledore appeared to be the consummate genial old man with a sharp mind and quick wit, a gifted teacher, friendly academic and upright politician. Both Harry and Liara became to like the old wizard with his gentle nature and his willingness to explain.  
Benezia however was more reserved. She assumed that Dumbledore showed them a mask, not necessarily in order to deceive but certainly to put Harry at ease. She could tell he was sincere enough, but didn't quite buy the harmless persona Dumbledore displayed.

"I see you're a true Potter, Harry," Dumbledore stated after explaining the practical differences between a pewter cauldron and a copper one. "Like your parents, grandparents and many generations of Potters you are a scholar. But as much as I would like to spend some more time on this academic debate, I have to ask you a few questions."

Harry and Liara sucked in a breath when they heard Harry described as a 'scholar', the Asari prophecy not forgotten.

'_Okay, Harry, now just like we discussed,_' Benezia tried to ease the suddenly sweating boy's mind. Harry took a few calming breaths, barely refraining from making them noticeably deeper than normal.

"I understand, sir," he stated more calmly than he felt. "But I have to warn you. I can't tell you much. I keep secrets that are not mine to share. My being here is only possible as long as those secrets remain safe. Also I have a few questions of my own that will decide if I'm allowed to stay."

"Ah, that is already part of my first question," the old wizard said. "Who is it you stayed with and why do they make your decision? Please, I won't judge, I simply want to understand your situation better."

"Their names are Liara and Benezia T'Soni," Harry answered simply. He filled out the the elision, making the Asari surname sound more like Tesony. "They make some of my decisions because they are my family and I'm still a kid. They don't force me to do anything I don't like, well except small things like doing homework or things like that."

He should have waited for Benezia to advise him, but the second part of the question had caught him flat footed. It simply never entered his mind to question Liara's or Benezia's authority over him. They were his guardians, his surrogate parents.

"That's good to hear, my boy," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye, looking the epitome of the kind grandfather. "But can't you tell me more about them? What they do for a living, where you live, how you came to be with them?"

"Well let's see..." Harry delayed. He had to give an answer that was both satisfying and vague enough to not give away much.

'_Tell him we are mother and daughter. That I'm a businesswoman and Liara an archeologist. We travel a lot but have a large enough home that is very secure. But don't tell him anything else._' came Benezia's advice. He followed it almost word for word, only slightly expanding on it.

When Dumbledore made to ask further, Harry quickly interrupted him. "Sir, that's all I'm going to tell you about them. They want their privacy and you'll have to respect that. You've probably already guessed that we didn't know about magic, but they have certain powers of their own."

'_Harry! Why did you give that away?_' Liara exclaimed.

'_It's alright, Little Wing. Harry is correct. He would be a fool not to have realized that already,_' Benezia intervened.

"So you can't tell me how they came upon you?" Dumbledore asked, not ready to let it go completely.

'_Go on, you can tell him that much, but keep it simple,_' Benezia said.

"Liara discovered me doing some accidental magic," Harry explained. "She was intrigued by it and decided to investigate a bit. She saw how I was treated by my relatives and intervened when Dudley tried to beat me up again. When she asked, I went with her. Anything was bound to be better than the Dursleys. I know I've been naive. I know that there are lots of worse fates, but it turned out to be everything I imagined and more."

They settled into silence, Dumbledore contemplating what he had learned and how best to progress. Harry was afraid he had said too much, but Liara was quick to assure him.

'_You handled that brilliantly, Harry!'_

'_Yes, exactly what was needed. You played on his guilt and gave just enough information to sate his immediate thirst for answers. Well done, Harry._' Benezia agreed. '_Now we can use this opening to ask a few questions in turn. Ask him why he placed you with your relatives. Ask him why it is that even though he deemed it necessary to monitor your health, he never checked up on you. Why there wasn't anyone else able to care for you in the magical world._'

Harry decided to ask just that. From the sad look in Dumbledore's eyes he could tell it wasn't a subject the Headmaster of Hogwarts was keen on talking about. Before he answered he rummaged in the many pockets of his robes until he pulled a little metal case out of wherever he had hidden it. He opened it and popped a small yellow sweet into his mouth.

"Lemon drop, Harry?" he offered. Shrugging the boy took one. Dumbledore gazed him astonished. "You know, you are the first in years to take me up on my offer."

"What you have to know in order to understand why I put you in that place, something I'm not proud of and would have never done had I known what you would go through, you have to understand the times," Dumbledore continued with a faraway look, sucking on his lemon drop. "You might have already tried to piece together something from the history books in your marvelous library, but like everything found in books, most notably those about history, it is seldom the complete truth. I take it Remus has already explained about Sirius Black?"

Getting a nod, the aged wizard continued. "His betrayal was a symptom of the time and hardly the only one. The war split families, friends and sometimes even lovers. Even with Voldemort gone, who was to know if some of his followers wouldn't carry on? We knew already that there was one traitor in our midst. Ironically Black put suspicion on Remus and even after Black showed his true colours, I couldn't help but wonder: What if he wasn't the only one?"

He let his statement hang in the air for a moment.

"So because you didn't know whom to trust you put me with the Dursleys? People you didn't even know?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Not right away. I still had hope that I would find a suitable couple to take care of you, but the war had taken it's toll on those fighting the darkness. Of those families in the Order only one remained which might have been suitable, the Longbottoms. Sadly they were in hiding like your parents with no immediate way to contact them. Soon after, only a day after they rejoined the public in fact, they were attacked by some remaining Death Eaters, quickly dispelling any plans I had for them to take you in. That more than anything convinced me that you were better off where you were."

"Why?" Harry asked confused.

"By that time some... _suspect_... families tried to gain custody of you," Dumbledore explained carefully. "While they have been cleared of any wrongdoing, I was not willing to entrust you to them. Since your aunt is your closest blood-relative, I could hold them off. It was still a near thing. One family, the Malfoys, tried especially hard and they had a good case, being the magical family closest related to you. Besides through that blood relation with your aunt and cousin I could invoke some powerful protection that kept you safe from Voldemort's remaining supporters. And believe me, they tried on more than one occasion."

"You just said Voldemort's name!" Harry exclaimed, focusing on that instead of the idea he was related to Malfoy!

"And so did you, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of the name increases fear of the thing itself," Dumbledore replied serenely.

"I never called him anything else, sir," Harry stated proudly. "It's just that you're the first wizard to actually say the name out loud."

"And I have tried to break people out of their irrational fear of a name for years and shall continue to do so even if it is a lost cause.  
"To answer your question why I never checked up on you, I thought it better to stay away, least I brought attention to you. You might have been safe from Voldemort's supporters and I put up some wards to protect your privacy but other than that anybody could have gotten to you. It never entered my mind that your Aunt Petunia, who had been so eager to join your mother in the world of magic, would treat you with anything but kindness and love. So I stayed away. I did however place an associate of mine in your neighbourhood. A Mrs. Figg who I've been told sometimes watched over you."

"Mrs. Figg is a witch?!" Harry exclaimed in surprise.

"Not quite. Mrs. Figg is a squib, someone born to magical parents who has no magic, or rather only very little, for themselves. I hope you see, Harry, that I did everything to protect you from Lord Voldemorts' followers. I'm sorry to have failed you so badly."

'_Harry, maybe you should ask him who Voldemort was now. If Hagrid knows more about him, it's a safe bet Dumbledore does too,_' Liara suggested.

"Because you brought up Voldemort again, sir," Harry said. "Who was he really? Hagrid seemed to know something. He told me Voldemort was in Slytherin, but I haven't found anything in the books about him, except that he was evil and what he did later. And why is it that everyone thinks I defeated him when I was a baby?" The last question was something that had bugged him from the moment he had heard the story.

Dumbledore sighed. "I really can't answer your first question yet. At least not fully. I can tell you that Voldemort was once a student at Hogwarts called Tom Riddle, when Hagrid was a student and I only a simple teacher. That's not common knowledge, although a few, like Hagrid and myself that knew him at school know a bit of his history. I dare say, nobody knows the real man though.  
" As to your second question, you didn't, not really. It was your mother's love that protected you when she sacrificed herself for you."

'_That doesn't make any sense at all,_' Benezia said. '_As a mother I can tell you that if it was that easy it would have happened much sooner. Any mother would throw herself in front of her baby if it would save it._'

"Uhm... Sir? If that's true why hasn't something similar happened much sooner? I mean, I can't imagine my mother being the first to be willing to sacrifice herself for her child."

"It was possible because of some rather unique circumstances," Dumbledore answered with a chuckle. "First you have to know that the protection is based on your mother's love for you. Second, I believe there was some preparation involved. A ritual maybe, but I can't be sure. Rituals are almost a lost art, but I have no doubt Lily would have found one that would keep you safe in this library if it existed. It is also important that Voldemort probably promised to spare her. I know from the timing of the spells that the both of them had a short conversation. And lastly because of who Voldemort had become, love was lethal to him. He can't stand it and a spell by him fueled by his hate would have no effect on someone protected by love."

'_Am I the only one that thinks magic makes no sense? What have love and hate to do with it?_' Liara asked incredulously.

'_Quite, but don't judge before we know more about the subject,_' Benezia agreed. '_You know how strong emotions can make us surpass our physical limits. Maybe it's true for magic as well._'

"So if my mother was really the one who got rid of Voldemort, why does everyone believe I'm the reason?" Harry asked, still trying to wrap his head around the whole thing.

"Because you, the Boy-Who-Lived, made for a much stronger symbol, something the people needed at that time," Dumbledore explained patiently. "Besides your mother was muggleborn. Some people still believe, wrongly I assure you, that she couldn't have done it."

"So how do you know what happened really?"

"Some of it is conjecture, but there are some obscure methods to unravel what happened where powerful magic was unleashed," Dumbledore replied a bit secretive. Deciding the answer was sufficient for now. He was at the beginning of his journey and didn't need all the answers right away. Benezia and Liara apparently agreed.

"Now can I ask you another question, dear boy? Where did your scar go?"

"My scar?" Harry asked, totally perplexed. He didn't have any scars, not as far as he knew.

"The scar on your forehead," Dumbledore asked curiously. "When we found you, you had a rather nasty cut on your forehead. We of course tried our best to close it and remove any possible scarring, but sometimes it happens with powerful curses that they leave marks behind that can not be removed by magic. Your scar is almost as famous as you are, Harry."

"Umm..." Harry said rather dumbly. He had no recollection of any scar like that.

'_Oh! He must talk about that scar on your forehead, Harry,_' Liara suddenly remembered the lightning bolt shaped scar he used to have. '_I removed it when I did that medical scan on our way to Thessia. It was rather easy._'

"Oh, now I remember. It was removed after I left the Dursleys," he faked his sudden remembrance rather poorly. "Surgically," he finished lamely.

"Indeed? Remarkable," Dumbledore said, peering out at him from over his half-moon spectacles. "The same goes for your glasses then?"

Harry only nodded. He wasn't about to say he had contacts that were a highly advanced piece of technology that short of x-ray vision could do almost anything.

"Hmm," Dumbledore hummed. "You have given me much food for thought. Can I expect to see you at the school opening feast then?"

'_Hold it Harry!_' Benezia cut in before he could give any response. '_Agree only if he promises that you have privacy at Potter Hall and that he or anyone else at his order will not try to find out our secret._'

"Maybe, but only if you can assure me nobody is going to spy on me here," Harry said. "And that nobody is going to try and steal my secrets. Oh, and no more thingys monitoring me."

"Harry, I would never intrude in your home!" Dumbledore looked affronted. Seeing the puzzled look Harry had at his outburst, the first during their longish talk, he elaborated. "In our society, where it is almost ridiculously easy to break into someone else's home if it's not warded like this house, there is a very strong taboo on entering a home uninvited or do anything to invade its sanctity. There are heavy repercussion if one were even to try!"

'_That actually makes sense,_' Liara said deep in thought. '_It was the same in many societies before they invented locks that could keep out unwanted guests.'_

"Okay, but what about the other part?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore seemed to grow a bit older at Harry's insistence. "Don't you trust me, Harry?"

"I trust you enough to take your word for it," Harry said.

"Very well. I swear on my magic, that neither I, nor anyone on my behalf will actively try to steal the secrets you keep for the people that have taken you in," the old wizard stated solemnly. If Harry expected some visible effect he was disappointed. Fawkes however trilled approvingly. Somehow it lent more credence to the oath.

"Uhm, did you just make a magical oath, sir?"

"Oh no, Harry," Dumbledore chuckled. "There are some vows and bindings that are enforced by magic, but they usually require spellwork or powerful artefacts. I would advise against using them, if you aren't completely certain of what you're doing. Just now there was no magic behind my words, but some advice Harry: You should never give your word and break it lightly. Words have a power of their own in the world of magic, even if they aren't spells. Magic often finds curious ways to enforce itself, even without our willing. There is a rather fascinating book on it, called 'The Magic of Oaths', if you're interested."

"Uhm... Sir, you almost make it sound as if magic is alive," Harry asked, half jokingly.

"And who's to say it isn't?" Dumbledore chuckled.

Harry only heard a groan and a series of thuds that sounded suspiciously like Liara's head hitting the table.

* * *

**AN: **The wand-lore was taken from the Harry Potter wikia page.

Before I get flames from Snape-lovers: I try for a 'realistic' interpretation based on book canon, not the movies. Rickman did a great job and played a marvelous Snape, but he made him too likeable, even pre heroic death.  
In the late seventies, during his last years at Hogwarts, Snape is an aspiring Death Eater. Those aren't nice people. James might have been a bit of a bully, but Death Eaters hurt people, something that the marauders as a rule didn't do. There's a world of difference between a schoolyard prankster who can be a bit of a bully and a violent thug who kills your family just because you looked funny at him.  
Is Snape a bad or evil person? Guess we'll find out. He certainly isn't a _nice_ person.

An unregistered reviewer asked why Harry didn't get a 'neural lance' (for those not familiar with the term: It's a direct brain-machine interface, which would allow Harry to essentially command his omni with his mind).  
From a story point of view I don't want to make it too easy. I'm already planning to let Harry have the whole amassed knowledge of basically all the books he runs across at his fingertips. I really don't want him becoming a second Neo 'I know Kung Fu' character.  
Next I want to point out that the current method I envisioned isn't that obvious. If he nervously presses some fingertips together or drums at a table in an impatient manner, who's to guess if it's a tick or that he really is typing at a keyboard only visible to him, when almost nobody has ever seen one, even the muggleborns (it's 1991 - computers weren't everywhere back then).  
Last, from an in-universe perspective that kind of technology is probably illegal (compare with Greyboxes) and quite dangerous, at least for a still growing child. Yes, biotic implants are similar, I know, and you have seen how that went with Harry. I believe such technology would blur the lines between person and machine, probably running afoul of the anti-AI laws or at least undermining them.


	10. Onwards to Hogwarts

**AN:** I'll incorporate snippets from James' and Lily's journals from time to time. I think it might be an interesting way for Harry to learn more about the magical world through his parents' eyes. Tell me if you think that's a good or bad idea. There's a reason why there are no portraits in Potter Hall. Harry and you will find out in time.

**Last time:** Harry and Liara arriving on Earth, Potter Hall, Diagon Alley and a chat with Dumbledore  
**This time:** The Hogwarts Express, The Sorting

* * *

"Uhm... Sir, you almost make it sound as if magic is alive," Harry asked, half jokingly.

"And who's to say it isn't?" Dumbledore chuckled.

Harry only heard a groan and a series of thuds that sounded suspiciously like Liara's head hitting the table.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Onwards to Hogwarts**

_Saturday, 31 August 1991  
20:49  
Potter Hall, Master Bedroom_

With a heavy thud Harry closed the lid of his new trunk.  
He had found the thing in one of the many cupboards of Potter Hall and promptly drafted it for his use. Harry had been introduced to the space expansion charm - as Remus called it - in the past and was only slightly fazed by it by now. When Liara and he had first discovered the space altering properties of the cave on Medes they thought it to be an artefact of advanced technology. Now Harry wasn't so sure anymore. Was magic just something insanely advanced or fundamentally different than technology? One thing was certain: He was going to do his best to find out.

The trunk was taking things further than merely messing with space. That the inside was bigger than the outside was at least halfway plausible, but seven completely separate pockets of inside-space that occupied the same outside-space was taking things too far. That couldn't be explained by curved space anymore - different dimensions had to be dragged into the fray.  
Yet that was exactly what the trunk did: Providing seven independent compartments, each bigger inside than the trunk itself. They could be accessed individually through unlocking seven different keyholes at the trunk's front. Harry wondered what would happen if two or more keys were inserted and turned at the same time. He didn't dare to try it, though.

For now he only used four compartments. One to stow his clothes in, one for his school books, another for a more advanced selection of books and the last to keep his school supplies, including the hated quills and parchment as well as several 'normal' notebooks, biros and his fountain pen.

Having finished packing for the next day, Harry undressed for bed. He had no use for pajamas. Over the last four weeks he had gradually made himself at home in Potter Hall, although he still slept on the Alexandria most days. The four weeks after the talk with Dumbledore had been insanely busy yet there was nothing much to say about them.

The same evening he had his talk with Dumbledore, Benezia, Liara and Harry had a short family conference. They agreed to tentatively trust Dumbledore, even though he obviously held some things back.  
The wizard had made mistakes but Benezia was quick to remind them that for a man in his position he simply might not have the time to personally check up on everything. Besides he wasn't the only one at fault. Harry's teachers and neighbours should have intervened, not some old man in a far away castle. The Matriarch knew well how demanding a public life could be. She herself had spent far less time with Liara than she had wanted.

Liara and Harry had decided that Potter Hall was as good a basis of operations as any other and gradually the Asari spent more and more time there. That also served to ascertain if the simple cloak she had used in the past which had fooled the muggles quite nicely worked also on unsuspecting wizards. After Remus had not noticed her for a whole afternoon where she sat on a nearby table in the library during one of his visits they had their answer.

Potter Hall was amazing but strange. Things like the stove in the kitchen were terribly out of date, even for Human standards, but there were also comforts to be found that were hard to fathom. Both Harry and Liara spent hours exploring the house and the sometimes strange appliances like the magical washboard that took care of the laundry or the beds that made themselves.  
It also didn't seem to have pipes, at least no inbound ones. Water simply came out of the tap.

From there plans were made to upgrade the manor with Asari technology. They knew from Dumbledore that the wards extended fifty meters from the house in every direction. The wards prevented everyone access by magical means like apparition and portkey and the house itself was only accessible by direct invitation. The floo could be used to call but Harry had to admit anyone entering that way individually.  
It was a solid foundation, but reading up on wards made it clear that they were a temporary deterrent at best. Wards could be broken with enough time and effort. Voldemort especially was famous for being able to utterly destroy wards that took normal wizards hours to break. It was one of the many things that had made him so dangerous.

The upgrades would have to remain well hidden. The most vital parts were a portable fusion reactor to provide energy and a ship strength kinetic shield. Together with an array of detectors it could keep anyone out if needed. At least they hoped it would.

Liara would start on the upgrades as soon as Harry was at Hogwarts along with everyone's focus. Meanwhile she oversaw the digitization of the Potter library and tried to reduce the number of questions they had. She wasn't all that successful, even with Harry's help.

Other than the continued visits of Remus and Hagrid, Harry spent his time studying. Some of it was his actual schoolwork, but there were other subjects that held his interest as well. Half the time was spent on his wandwork, like Ollivander had suggested.

Grinning Harry pulled his wand and performed a simple teeth brushing charm. The little tidbit of information he stumbled on in his father's journal had been a godsend.

_Today something strange happened. I completely forgot that I wasn't supposed to do magic at home. Honest! I just forgot!  
Personally I blame the nine months spent at Hogwarts where reaching for my wand to do even the most mundane task has become second nature. It's only natural that on my first day back I forgot that I had to use a toothbrush and not my wand. I was half asleep for Merlin's sake!  
Anyway the anticipated owl from the Ministry never came. Usually they are much faster than that. Then I did something stupid and brilliant: I told Dad.  
To my relief he wasn't disappointed but understanding. He was also puzzled and promised to look into it. Good old Dad! He never could leave a mystery alone.  
Didn't take him long to solve this one either. He was here five minutes ago, looking rather sheepish. Apparently our home is on a do-not-watch list at the Ministry and got a few extra wards to keep them from being too nosy. Until some hundred years ago it was common to hire tutors for their kids during summer. Since they were supervised it was legal for them to do magic. It's the same with those kids that are home schooled, although even that's rare nowadays.  
Apparently one of our ancestors applied for this exemption and it's still in place. Nobody bothered to cancel it, so as long as I do magic on the grounds nobody's going to care in London. Dad actually gave me permission. Said that with my OWLs done I had earned it and he never fully agreed with the Underage Law anyway. Wait till I tell Sirius!_

_- JCP, July 2 1976_

Harry had decided to follow his parents' footsteps and write his own journal. Obviously he couldn't do so in a book. It was just not safe enough. What if someone found and read it? Besides why use such an inferior medium when he had his omni-tool?

It had taken him some time to get used to the unfamiliar interface. Instead of projecting a hologram his modified omni used an archaic form of input that consisted of his fingertips touching the tip of his thumbs. It was difficult working without visual or tactile cues like a haptic hologram or even an interface projected through his AR-lenses but he managed. Aside from his journal he didn't use the writing functionality that much anyway. His journal entries consisted of less text and more audiovisual content. He had already decided to record every class at Hogwarts and build something like an interactive studying helper.  
If anyone saw him they would probably think he had a nervous tic. Most common functionalities were bound to inconspicuous gestures, like tapping his left middle finger to his thumb three times then swiping over all four fingers would open a call to Liara.

Just as Harry was about to finish with today's entry, there was a soft knock from the door. At his 'Enter' Liara opened it and gave him a grin that told him she had found something interesting.

"Hey Liara, what's up?" he asked, not in the least bothered by his state of undress. Body modesty wasn't something the Asari were famous for. The Asari 'exotic dancers' outside Asari space actually put on more clothes than some regular partygoers in the university districts of Armali or Serrice.

"I think I figured it out, Harry," she said, still beaming while she plopped herself down on the massive bed. "They forgot about the speed of light. Or they probably don't even know about it."

Harry immediately knew what she was talking about. Two weeks after the talk with Dumbledore, Liara and Harry had gone to Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron, disguised obviously. Harry had dyed his hair and his contacts were set to make his eyes appear blue-gray instead of green - a nifty feature he thought. Liara had been in her usual garb with heavy make-up and this time even a wig.

Not wanting to alert anyone to their activities, they had sold a few of the diamonds to the goblins who hadn't asked any questions. The sale had netted them over two thousand galleons and thus made them independent from Harry's trust vault for now.

Their two objectives for that day were a sound success. Not only were they able to make certain that their disguises worked perfectly, they also bought the model of the galaxy Harry's mother mentioned in her diary, something Liara was very interested in.

They also managed to get Liara hooked on Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream, but that was a different story.

The miniature Milky Way was a puzzle. It was advertised to be almost identical to the real thing and while that was true for the local solar neighbourhood, the further out they compared the model to the real thing, the less it fit. Apparently Liara finally found out why.

"You see, Harry," she said, using her own omni-tool to project a representation of the galaxy as the model displayed it. "It isn't actually a model of the galaxy but how the galaxy would look like from Earth if light was infinitely fast. But since it isn't and not every star is the same distance from Earth you have to account for that."

With a few taps the projection of the galaxy began to morph. Around the Sun, helpfully pointed out by a marker, the change was minuscule but the stars further away were moving very fast. Soon the model looked like the one Harry had first seen on the Alexandria four years ago.

"It's almost perfect, Harry," Liara said with awe. "Not a single star missing and they even got all the bright nebulas. There are a few Radio and Gamma objects missing and obviously there aren't any planets visible, but other than that... It's amazing! It's almost impossible to get the distances right simply by observing the night sky on a single planet, yet apparently that's all they did to gather the data. Look here!"

Again she tapped something into her omni-tool. A second marker appeared, labeled 'Parnitha', followed by a third pointing out the Serpent Nebula

"There's Thessia. And there's the Citadel, well, not the station but where the station is. After the correction they are right where they should be this moment. This thing is actually better than our star maps!"

Harry's eyes had grown wide. He had read through his Astronomy book and found it severely lacking. Apparently all that class consisted of was staring through a simple and very weak brass telescope and drawing up incorrect star charts.  
Not that Harry had anything against stargazing. He loved lying back and just looking up to the points of light that to him had always meant adventure and a bright future, but he could do that without 'learning' Astronomy.  
Here was proof again that there was much to discover in this strange new place only a few miles from where he used to live.

Later after Liara had left, he added this new puzzle to his ever expanding list of questions. So far they had only made a tiny dent. At the top stood the most obvious question: 'How does magic work? How can you quantify it'? So far they were no nearer to an answer than they had been when they had departed from Thessia. Other questions had been answered only to spawn new ones, like 'Can one fly with magic?' which lead to 'How does a broom work?'. Now the last entry read: 'How did they create an almost exact model of the galaxy and the solar system with only antiquated brass telescopes?'  
Harry feared it wouldn't stay the last question for very long.

* * *

_Sunday, 1 September 1991  
7:30  
Potter Hall, Master Suit_

Harry woke to the tolling of a bell, followed by the e-guitars of the Young brothers. When the drum-set joined in he started playing air-drums, still laying on his back with his eyes closed but shaking his head to the music. When Brian Johnson led the canon for the first time, Harry was fully awake and joined in singing 'Hells Bells'.

He had to hand it to Sirius Black: The man might have betrayed his parents and was a mass murderer but he had a great taste in music.

Remus had taken him to his family's cottage and his parents' graves in Godric's Hollow a week ago on Harry's request. It had been strange walking through the empty house that looked like a ruin on the outside but was in almost perfect condition on the inside. Almost as if his parents had just stepped out for a moment. He spent some time telling his parents' gravestones everything that happened during the last ten years - in general terms, in case anyone listened in. He hoped they approved.

What had surprised him was that the house had some electric appliances, most notably a sound system and a gramophone. At Potter Hall everything worked with magic.  
At Harry's questioning Remus told him that magic and newer muggle technology didn't work well together. The occasional spell or magical device didn't bother the more complex appliances, but the more ambient magic there was around, the more things went haywire. It sparked a new fear in Harry and Liara - what if his omni-tool and his contacts didn't work at Hogwarts? What about his biotic amplifier?

When he started the record player on a whim it had the 'Back in Black' album ready to play. After a little digging he found the case with a note from Black how he had listened to Lily, Harry's mother, went Muggle for a while and found this jewel.

Since then Harry had been hooked on AC-DC.

After showering and dressing to 'Shoot to Thrill', Harry did a final check if he had forgotten anything. A few last minute additions to his trunk later he pulled his wand and levitated it down to the floo fireplace.

A short bed sheet tugging war with Liara later to wake her up and get moving he started to make breakfast. The Asari thought it was way too early in the morning, considering his train didn't leave until eleven, but Harry disagreed when he shoved her into the shower.

Liara was still grumpy when she joined Harry for breakfast.

Like always when anticipating something eagerly, time seemed to crawl but finally it was ten forty-five and time to go. With a quick kiss on his forehead and making him promise to call every day and immediately if something went wrong, Liara sent him off. She continued to look at the flames in the fireplace long after they had changed back to their normal orange colour.

* * *

Harry stepped out of the fireplace only stumbling slightly. He was slowly getting the hang of this flootravel business. And this time he even had his trunk and Hedwig's cage with him!  
The trick was really closing ones eyes and standing perfectly still, so the mind couldn't become confused by what it was seeing as opposed to what the inner ear told it. He only needed to perfect his timing when to take the step forward at his destination.

Stepping away to make room for the next arriving by floo, Harry took in the scene. Dominating it was the train that looked almost like a scarlet twin of the famous Orient Express. White steam billowed from the locomotive's chimney while people were loading trunks and children into the carriages. A stone wall shaped like a portal with a metal sign reading 'Platform 9 ¾' occasionally disgorged people pushing trolleys coming from the regular railway station. For a short moment, until they stepped away, Harry could see the bustling chaos on the muggle side, strangely similar yet also very different, to the chaos on this side.

Children and adults of any age greeted each other after the summer holidays with slaps on each other's back, hugs and formal handshakes. Scanning the crowd near the fireplaces Harry made out Remus who waved eagerly at him. Raising his hand to acknowledge him he made his way towards the older man and greeting him with an one-armed hug, after being cleaned with a quick wave of Remus' wand.

"So, Harry. Nervous?" Remus asked.

"No. Maybe... A bit." Harry said with a laugh. He was nervous but also excited. Excited about learning magic and finding answers to the questions that seemed never-ending. Excited about making new friends. Excited about finally seeing Hogwarts after reading so much about it in his parents' books.

"Bet you are," Remus said wistfully. "I was too, my first time. Now let's find you a compartment."

Casting a quick featherlight charm on the trunk, not knowing it was already charmed that way, Remus followed Harry onto the train. They passed a couple of compartments, some empty, some filled with older students. Harry didn't want to travel alone, yet he also didn't want to intrude in what appeared to be well-established cliques either. Finally he found a compartment with only a girl approximately his age in it.

"Hi! Room for one more?" he asked, opening the door.

"Sure," the girl who had been engrossed in a book said, beaming at him. Somehow the bushy haired brunette already in her school robes seemed familiar to Harry, but he shrugged it away. He had probably seen her in Diagon Alley or the Cauldron he thought.

Remus helped Harry get his trunk stowed away and they left again. Outside they gave each other another hug.

"Now remember, make lots of friends and stay out of trouble..."

"Or at least don't get myself caught," Harry finished. "I remember, Remus. Don't worry!"

"And..."

"And no dangerous magic without supervision. I get it," Harry finished, rolling his eyes in annoyance. Harry had read all about his father and friends becoming Animagi and all the things they had done in their time. It had taken all of both Liara's and Remus' persuasion skills to stop him from trying to become an Animagus himself.

"And don't you forget it," Remus said sternly. For never having met her the werewolf sounded suspiciously like Liara had not ten minutes before when she had sent him on his way from Potter Hall.

"You'll do great, Harry," he finally said with a chuckle and a slight glistening in his eyes.

"Yeah... I'll see you over Christmas, Remus," Harry said, a bit uncomfortable. He really liked the older man and would miss their chats.

"Don't forget to write. Give that owl of yours a workout or she might get bored," Remus said, clapping Harry on the shoulder.

"I will. Bye Remus!"

And with a wave Harry was back on the train and in his compartment. The girl was back at reading her book but looked up eagerly as he entered. Harry was feeling anxious but excited about maybe making the first friend his age. That it was a girl didn't bother him. Bob and Primus were guys but growing up among the Asari he never had a 'girls are icky'-phase. He understood the differences between the genders well enough but didn't give them a second thought.

"Hi again," he said, holding out his hand. "Sorry about vanishing without an introduction earlier. I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

The girl's face lit up in recognition at his name. He had anticipated it and cringed a little bit, barely noticeable. She put away her book and shook his hand. "Hermione Granger, nice to meet you. I've read all about you!"

"Well, better forget everything then. It's complete rubbish," he said with what he thought was a winning smile. He hoped he could make people forget about his fame so he could blend in better.

"What do you mean? The books are all very clear on how you killed Vol- err... You-Know-Who," Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Call him Voldemort. He killed my parents and I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of cowering before his name," Harry said with a grimace, then smiled at her hesitant nod. "And I have it on good authority that I was just an innocent bystander that night. My mother was the one who placed a ward on me and killed Voldemort when it made his spell backfire. I was just lying there, probably dirtying my nappies."

He was rewarded with a small giggle. At that moment the train made a lurch. Harry went to the window and opened it. Spotting Remus in the crowd he waved at him until the train had pulled out of the station.

"Your parents didn't see you off?" he asked the girl who had remained seated. Seeing the hurt on her face he quickly said, "Sorry, none of my business."

"It's nothing. They had to be at work at ten," Hermione said.

Before they could say anything else, the door to their compartment opened, revealing a red-haired boy with a black mark on his nose who looked to be a first-year like them.

"Sorry," he said in greeting. "Everywhere else is full. Can I sit with you?"

"Yeah sure," Harry said and helped the boy wrestle his trunk into the compartment. When everything was in place he extended his hand to the redhead. "Hi, I'm Harry Potter and this is Hermione Granger. Pleasure to meet you."

"Ron Weasley," the boy said, eagerly shaking the offered hand. "Are you really? Harry Potter I mean? Do you have the scar?"

"Yes I am, but I've gotten rid of the scar ages ago," Harry said with a frown, pushing back his bangs to show his unblemished forehead. He didn't like how Ron was in awe of him without knowing him and completely ignoring Hermione, but Benezia had told him what to expect from his fame and he wasn't going to hold it against the boy that he was a bit starstruck.

Again the door opened, revealing two identical twins with red hair. They were a bit stockier than Ron but obviously his brothers.

"Hey Ron," the left said. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train."

"Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there," the other added.

"Right," Ron mumbled as the two closed the door again.

"Your brothers?" asked Harry.

"Yes, Fred and George," Ron said, a bit shy.

"Are all your family wizards?"

"Err yes - I think so," Ron said in thought. "I think mum's got a second cousin who's a squib, you know, no magic at all, but we never talk about him."

"What about you, Hermione?" Harry asked, trying to get a proper talk going.

"My parents are dentists," she said. "Normal people. I didn't know about magic until this summer."

"Me too," Harry said. "Well, not the parents thing. You know about them, probably, but I didn't know about magic until the end of June."

"Why wouldn't you?" Hermione asked with a frown. "Your parents were wizard and witch, so why didn't you grow up in the magical world?"

"My mum was a muggleborn like you," Harry explained. "I used to live with her sister who's a muggle. Never got told about magic but I think they knew about it and hated it. When I was seven, I got away from them - they never wanted me anyway - and only learned about magic when Dumbledore sent me that letter with Fawkes two months ago."

"So, Hermione, you came through the portal at the station? Don't people notice when you just vanish?" Harry asked after a moment.

"Nah, muggles don't notice a thing," surprisingly it was Ron who answered. "Dad says there's a notice-me-not charm on the platform outside to keep the muggles from catching on. Good thing too. Mum was in a right state what with having to take those lame busses to the station."

"Why didn't you take the floo?" Harry asked in confusion. "I thought you are from a wizarding family?"

"Dad insists to do it 'the muggle way'. 'Adds to the experience' he says. He's a bit crazy about muggle-stuff, but today he didn't have time to drive us so he made Mum take us. Almost didn't make it too!"

Harry was quite pleased having gotten the ball rolling. Hermione practically demanded to know everything about the floo, Dumbledore and Fawkes. She also wanted to know where he had grown up but he deflected those questions with half-truths and evasions. They soon realized that they both lived relatively close to each other now, while Ron lived somewhere in the middle of Devon.

Ron in turn was only too happy to tell them all about his family. Both non-magically raised were quite interested to know about how magicals actually lived and what they did for a living.

About an hour later a plumb but smiling witch looked in on them, asking if they wanted anything from the trolley. Ron mumbled something about having sandwiches, his ears growing pink, while Hermione just politely declined. Harry quickly decided to buy enough for the three of them. He had never had any wizard's sweets, even though he had inherited his father's frog card collection, and was quite eager to try them all. Besides it would be good sharing them with his new friends.

Hermione tried to beg off at first, claiming her dentist parents wouldn't want her eating sugary stuff. When Harry offered to do a simple teeth cleaning spell afterwards that would make cavities a non-issue she almost begged him on her knees to teach him the spell right that instant.

Hermione had been a bit guarded at first, but when Harry later engaged her about books they had both read and movies they'd watched he got himself into quite a heated discussion. For not having said much at all at first, Hermione soon amazed him with how fast she could talk. When she tried to defend the obvious flaws in some of her favourite science fiction books and movies Harry had pointed out, he feared she would suffocate from not stopping to take a breath.

Later in the afternoon, Hermione was currently defending the ridiculous space battle in Star Trek 'The Wrath of Khan', a chubby boy opened the compartment door.

"Sorry," he said. He seemed tearful. "but have you seen a toad at all?"

When all three shook their heads he seemed to deflate even more. "I always lose him! He just keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up," Harry said trying to cheer the boy up.

"What's your name?" Hermione asked.

"Neville Longbottom," he said shyly. After a round of introduction after which Neville stared at Harry in awe, making him uncomfortable again, Hermione suggested that they could look for Trevor, the Disappearing Toad, together.

"Why?" Ron asked. He was quite comfortable in the compartment. There were still some chocolate frogs left. "It's not as if four will find the toad any faster than one. But you go ahead, Harry and I won't mind."

"Ron's right," Harry said to the disappointment to both Neville and Hermione. "There's got to be a better way to do this. Isn't there a spell to find missing toads?"

Neville looked hopeful at that while Hermione scrunched up her face, trying to remember if she had read about any spell that could help them. Harry would have searched his omni-tool library for something but he still didn't feel comfortable enough with the interface to do it stealthily in front of people.

"Mum would just summon it. She's done it with Scrabbers here this morning when I couldn't find him. But I think it's an advanced spell. Doubt we can do it," Ron said gesturing at his sleeping rat.

"Brilliant Ron!" Harry congratulated him. "We can just ask someone older to do it for us. Say, haven't you told us about your brother Percy being a prefect? Maybe we can get him to help."

Ron still seemed reluctant to leave but since this time Harry had suggested it, he left with a minimum of complaining. As luck would have it they met Percy the Prefect in the next carriage. The fifth year was quite pleased to be of help, going on and on how it was his duty as a prefect to help the younger students. Five minutes later, in the second carriage in which Percy tried to summon the toad with a simple 'Accio Trevor', a beaming Neville thanked them all and went back to his compartment to change into his school robes and at Harry's advice, lock Trevor away.

"Don't know why he was so bothered," Ron said as soon as the three were back in their own compartment. "If I'd brought a toad I would've lost it as quick as I could. Mind Scrabbers here isn't much better. He could've died while we were gone and you wouldn't know the difference."

"I tried to turn him yellow yesterday, to make him more interesting you see," he said looking with disgust at his pet. "But the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..."

After a bit of rummaging in his truck and complaining about his wand he waved his wand around and recited: "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow; Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" Hermione asked, while Harry was rolling on the floor laughing. He had read quite a bit about the colour-changing spell as it was an all-time favourite pranking-spell. Obviously somebody had found a unique way to prank someone with it.

Ron's ears had turned red in embarrassment.

Straightening himself, Harry tried to change the subject before Ron's whole head turned red. He still sported a grin, though.

"So, what house do you guess you'll end up? I think, I'll be in Gryffindor but Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad I guess."

"Gryffindor definitely sounds the best," Hermione was quick to agree. "I've heard Dumbledore was there as well and Professor McGonagall would be our Head of House. Ravenclaw sounds good too, but I don't know..."

Ron had turned away to throw his wand back into his trunk. "Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," Harry heard him grumbling. He cast a quick glance at Hermione who didn't appear to have heard Ron.

Soon later Harry once again diverted the conversation back to what a wizard did after school and Ron was telling them about his older brothers Charlie and Bill but he wasn't too clear on the specifics, only mentioning that Bill did 'something' for Gringotts in Africa. Hermione was getting increasingly frustrated by his inability to elaborate but before she could go off on a tirade, the compartment door opened once again.

Three boys entered. Harry immediately recognized Draco Malfoy, the boy from Diagon Alley, and barely suppressed a groan. His two thickset companions didn't look much friendlier either.

"Is it true?" he asked. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

Deciding that there was no sense denying it, he answered with a curt 'yes'.

"This is Crabb and this is Goyle," Malfoy continued, waving at the other two. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

At that point all three previous occupants of the compartment began to snigger for different reasons. Ron tried to hide his behind a rather unconvincing cough.

"Think my name is funny, do you?" Malfoy said agitatedly.

"No," Harry said trying to get his snickering under control. "It's just the way you said it, Bond... I mean Malfoy." This set Hermione off again.

Malfoy was clenching his fists as he looked at the three other kids in front of him. He was losing his temper but he had come here, trying to make a probably valuable connection with Potter.

"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter," he ground out, looking contemptuously at Ron and Hermione. "You don't want to make friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

"What do you mean, wrong sort? What's the right sort then? Purebloods?" Harry asked, all levity gone as he stood up. He had expected this. Malfoy Senior had been four years older than his parents but James had been quite clear on which side he had stood in the war.

"Exactly," Draco said, pleased with the development. "Pureblood families like the Malfoys and Potters are destined to rule over the lower riff-raff."

"Oh I'm sorry," Harry said with mock shock. "I didn't know you were a pureblood. It must be so hard, living with that stigma. But I won't hold it against you. Some of my best friends are purebloods and they are perfectly normal people, nothing like the crazy lunatics one would expect."

Apparently sarcasm wasn't something that wizards understood that well. Ron, Malfoy and his cronies had a look of confusion on their faces as they tried to figure out what Harry had meant. Hermione meanwhile tried hard not to grin.

"Listen, Malfoy," Harry said, finally putting him out of his misery. "Where I come from it isn't a mark of distinction to be a pureblood, quite the contrary in fact. No offense, Ron. So why don't you just leave and let me figure out whom to befriend and whom not to."

Malfoy's face changed from one of confusion to a sneering grimace. "But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? Seems to me you still have some food left, so I think we'll just help ourselves to some of it."

Goyle made to reach for a Chocolate Frog but Harry had enough. He shoved the much bigger boy out the door, making all three of the newcomers tumble out of the compartment. His biotics might have helped a little bit.

Kicking a few stray legs out of the way, Harry made to close the door but stopped at half-way.

"Not a smart move, Malfoy," Harry said at the bundle of legs and arms. "My parents stood against people like yours ten years ago. What made you think I would be any different?"

Closing the door and resisting the urge to wipe his hands clean in satisfaction, Harry sat back down and watched how the three intruders tried to sort themselves out.

"Blimey, Harry!" Ron said in awe. "You showed them!"

"Fighting is wrong, Harry," Hermione said in disapproval, a frown on her face. "If a Prefect had caught you, they might have expelled you!"

"Hermione, that guy's father was a Death Eater," Harry tried to explain. "They wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire. And that git seemed to buy into their beliefs. I'll not stand for bigotry. My parents gave their lives to end this but apparently they still haven't learned."

Hermione seemed unconvinced and decided to go back to her book that had been disregarded during the whole ride. Ron engaged Harry into a discussion about quidditch but a few moments later a voice echoed through the train, telling them they would be there in five minutes. Harry and Ron scrambled to put on their robes above their clothes while Hermione who had hers on already put away her book.

Soon they were on the platform where Hagrid called out for the first years to follow him. They met up with Neville again and stumbled down a steep, narrow path after the half-giant.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec,' Hagrid called. "Jus' round this bend here."

Suddenly the path widened and the troop of first years were standing at the shore of a giant lake, framed by low mountains. At the far end of the lake a vast castle fit to house a family of giants stood atop a cliff protruding above the smooth black surface of the water. Dusk was in its final stages before turning into true dark night, so Harry couldn't make out too much of the valley except the hills were covered by a dense forest.

There was a lot of 'Ooooh's and 'Aaaaah's from the new students as they first lay eyes on Hogwarts with its many turrets and towers from afar, its many windows shining with yellow light as if hollow and filled with candles.

Harry called Liara on his omni.

'_Harry, is something wrong?_' she answered after only a second.

"Will you look at that," he breathed out, seemingly to himself.

'_Oh! It's magnificent! I wish I could be there,_' Liara whispered in awe.

Harry looked around if anyone paid attention to him. Thankfully the others were still distracted by the sight.

'_Well, trace my location and come have a look sometime,_' he said under his breath.

A long moment later Hagrid ushered them into boats, four apiece, and they set out to begin their journey across the lake, to learn magic.

* * *

_Sunday, 1 September 1991  
20:34  
Hogwarts, Chamber adjoining the Great Hall_

Hermione Granger was furiously going over all the spells and tidbits of knowledge she had managed to learn over the past two months. McGonagall had just left them to prepare for their sorting and there was a low murmur in the air. Nobody knew what it would be, but Hermione guessed it to be some sort of test, so being prepared was certainly not a bad idea. If she did well she would be able to choose her house, and she wanted to be a Gryffindor.

She had done some research about the four houses and what they stood for. It was a strange system, but things worked differently in the magical world, that much was obvious. After her research she had made a list, several actually, and decided that while she had characteristics from every house - she was intelligent, ambitious, hardworking and she considered herself brave enough - Gryffindor was her best choice. Slytherin was right out, obviously, considering the house _never_ took muggleborns. Hufflepuff... Well she wasn't exactly patient and never had a reason to be loyal to anyone except her family, so she wouldn't know about that. Ravenclaw might have been an option, but from everything she'd heard so far the house was more about learning what's been written and not finding out anything new. Gryffindors did that. They were the ones daring enough to defy the acknowledged masters and take their theories to the test. She wanted to be like that  
Besides Dumbledore had been in Gryffindor and he was a certified genius from everything she'd read.

While Hermione recited the correct way to turn a quill into a duster, she took a look around through half-closed eyes. Most of her peers were in various states of panic. Some like that poor boy Neville were quivering from fear, while that prat Ron only looked white. Malfoy did a good job masking his fear by strutting among his friends and declaring boldly that he would obviously be sorted into Slytherin. That was a relief for Hermione as she didn't want to be anywhere near that ponce. Despite everything she had said to Harry, she had enjoyed seeing him land on his arse. Still, fighting was wrong. It had to be a last resort.

Now Harry was different. He alone seemed completely at ease, leaning against the wall near Ron. Hermione thought he might know what would happen next, but not even _Hogwarts: A History_ mentioned how the sorting was done. She had to admit to be intrigued by Harry Potter. The train ride was a strange experience, almost as if she had friends, well one friend at least, since Ron apparently didn't like her. She had heard him mumble not wanting to be in the same house as her after all. And even Harry wasn't like she imagined a friend to be. He was nice enough, but he kept needling her about her favourite books and movies, ridiculed them outright and generally questioned her knowledge. It was not something she was used to. Hermione always knew the correct answer, yet Harry looked as if he knew something more that she didn't know. It was frustrating!  
And besides he was a Star Wars fan so she couldn't take him seriously. The Force... Really?

Then a couple of ghosts drifted through the chamber and over the children's heads. Most were shocked at the sight, too shocked to answer the simple questions in fact. Hermione paid them no mind. She had read about the ghosts and was certain questions could wait till later. The Sorting was more important right now.

Finally McGonagall returned and ushered the first years into the great hall. As they made their way to the front, Hermione looked around wide-eyed like the rest, the impending test temporarily forgotten. As she looked past the floating candles she remembered something from the books she'd read and elbowed Harry who was walking nearby. "Look, the ceiling! It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in _Hogwarts: A History_."

Harry looked up obediently and grinned at her. Maybe Hogwarts would turn out better than her last school.

They had to line up in front of the school, facing a three-legged stool with an old floppy wizard's hat on top of it. Just as Hermione was beginning to question the sanity of the teachers, the hat started to sing.

Like the rest of the first years she could only stare gobsmacked. She had read about Godric's hat in _A History_, but only after it was finished and the students sitting on the tables in front of her started to cheer, did it dawn to her that the hat would do the sorting.

Hermione barely took notice of whose turn it was before her. They all put on the hat and after a few moments it would call out their house. It seemed simple enough, but how did it work? The hat sometimes appeared to be mumbling to itself, so maybe it was like some sort of oral exam?

Soon it was her turn and she strode determinately forward to take her place on the stool.

"My, haven't you figured it all out," Hermione wasn't certain if the voice was in her head or if the hat spoke to her. "Let's have a look. Ambitious, I see. You want to change the world and... oh what's that? Not only the world? Haven't had someone aiming for the stars in some years. But Slytherin isn't for you. No. Hufflepuff now would do you good. You're loyal, yes, tremendously loyal, but I fear you wouldn't fit in there. You want to stand out. I think you were right to wish for GRYFFINDOR!"

Hermione eagerly grabbed the hat and put it back on the stool. As she made for the Gryffindor table at the far left she couldn't help but smile smugly. She had gotten her wish, but why didn't the hat even consider Ravenclaw? Wasn't she smart enough? She had been top of her year since first grade and several prestigious secondary schools had shown an interest in her.

It was only a small dampener. Her own sorting over, she could now watch the rest getting sorted.  
One by one her peers got assigned to the four houses. She was a bit surprised that Neville made it into Gryffindor, but she clapped for him nevertheless. Then McGonagall arrived at 'P', calling out Padma and Parvati Patil to be sorted into Ravenclaw and Gryffindor respectively, followed by 'Perks, Sally-Anne' who also joined Hermione in Gryffindor.  
Finally it was time for 'Potter, Harry' to be sorted.

A strange silence fell over the Great Hall, conspicuous in its loudness. People were trying to be silent, not daring to miss anything, but whispering to their neighbours excitedly. It was both louder and quieter than the relaxed hubbub from a moment before as Harry Potter strode confidently towards the Sorting Hat.

* * *

Harry Potter was a bundle of nerves but refused to show it. Liara kept a steady stream of reassuring words flowing into his ears. It helped a bit, but not much.

To their shared immense relief they had found out that Asari technology worked inside Hogwarts. Apparently investing into military grade tech now paid dividends. The remote diagnostics Liara had performed while Harry waited in the chamber with the other first years came back green, with only a twenty percent increase in the error-rate of both the omni-tool and the transmission, which was easily swallowed by the correction protocols. It was a bit harder to locate Harry inside the castle than anticipated, but as soon as she would get some dedicated low-orbit satellites in place over the area, Liara was confident that the deviation would go down to one meter from the current five.

Harry's mind flashed to his father's entry about the sorting.

_A bloody hat! A bloody, dirty, old hat!  
Oh, dad's in for some pranking! Making me believe I had to dive into a pit of snakes if I wanted to be in Gryffindor. That calls for revenge!  
And the bloody thing almost chucked me into Slytherin too! Said I had ambition and cunning! Well, I sure told it! Ruddy thing.  
I'm glad Sirius is with me in Gryffindor, he seems like a good sort, and that wanker Snivellus got what he deserved and ended up in Slytherin. His girlfriend is in Gryffindor though. Don't know what's that all about.  
Anyway, gotta sleep now. Have to talk Sirius into pranking the Slytherins tomorrow before breakfast.  
- JCP, September 1, 1971_

The hat was too big for Harry's head - no surprise - and he was soon engulfed in darkness.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear that most definitely wasn't Liara's. "Difficult. Very difficult."

'_What's happening, Harry?_' this time it was Liara in his ear. '_Your brainwaves just spiked._'

"Oh, you have a guest with you," the hat's voice continued. "How very curious. Ah, don't fear, I shan't tell anyone what I hear and read tonight. Now let's see."

'_It's alright Liara,_' he whispered. '_I know what I'm doing. I hope._'

This was what Harry had indeed feared. He couldn't have been certain from his father's journal but he had suspected that the hat could read his mind. What if it told anyone?  
Harry and Liara had read up on mind magic, legilimency and occlumency, and to their relief it was next to impossible for a wizard to invade someone's conscious mind without them noticing. There were some artifacts, like apparently the Sorting Hat, that could accomplish this but they were generally bound by their form and purpose.  
There was not much Harry could do to protect himself anyway. Occlumency, the art to protect ones mind, was more like an inoculation, requiring that someone repeatedly invaded Harry's mind. It reminded Liara about her own training against such an invasion but she was not ready to teach Harry in this. The very thought to force herself into someone elses mind was repulsive to her.  
Thankfully Harry's thoughts were safe for the moment unless someone made a concentrated effort. Should that happen Liara was ready to make the sky rain fire. Literally.

"Hmm, how wonderful! You should stir things up nicely. The stars hold life? Who would've guessed... I wonder if she'll find out..." the hat mumbled, more to itself. Harry was close to ripping the thing off but it was too late anyway. It knew. "Now now, I still have to sort you. To be frank, I agree with your 'Aunt'. It isn't the time yet. Now to you, there's plenty of courage, oh yes. Not a bad mind either and with that watch of yours I shall say you'll breeze through your classes. Wonder why Rowena never thought of something like that... And your ambition... My goodness, that's quite a goal!"

Harry didn't like the sound of that. Ambition was traditionally associated with Slytherin and he sure as hell didn't want to end up there. His father had managed to talk the head out of it in his time, so Harry began to chant 'Not Slytherin' in a low voice, thinking about how he hated everything that house stood for.

"Not Slytherin, eh?" the hat finally said. "If you're sure... It's all there but maybe you're right. Besides, the body-count alone... Well - better be GRYFFINDOR!"

The last was shouted out loud for everyone to hear. Letting out his breath in relief, Harry took off the hat and placed it on the stool. Desperately trying not to shiver like a leaf, he made his way to the Gryffindor table and sat down near Hermione. Percy made a point of standing up and shake his hand while Fred and George, Ron's twin brothers, yelled "We got Potter!" over and over, pumping their fists in the air.

Ron himself was also sorted into Gryffindor, for which Harry was glad. He would need someone's help who had grown up in the magical world to navigate the various minefields.

After Blaise Zabini, a well tanned boy with dark brown hair, was sorted into Slytherin, Dumbledore stood and waved for silence.

"Welcome!" he bellowed, looking very pleased and happy with his eyes twinkling and his arms open. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. Now I believe you are as hungry as I, so I have only a few short words for you now. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!  
"Thank you"

Everyone cheered and laughed. Only the first years seemed a bit puzzled, but Harry laughed with the Weasley twins. During his meeting with Dumbledore he had been introduced to his odd sort of humour.

The plates in front of them filled with all sorts of foods. The word feast was no exaggeration. Pork and lamb chops, dripping with glistening fat, sausages, roast beef and many other things would have made the tables sag, if they hadn't been spelled, and cardiologists weep. Harry was happily piling stuff on his plate, not having had any real food since breakfast which was more than twelve hours ago.

Some of the other Gryffindor first years had ended up sitting near him and were happily chatting away. Neville was so relieved to have ended up in Gryffindor, he told them all about how his family had thought him a weak wizard, while Seamus Finnigan told them of the prank his mother pulled on his father by not telling him about magic. The poor man must have gotten quite a shock.

Harry was introduced to Sir Nicholas, or Nearly-Headless Nick as he was called much to his chagrin. The reality of ghosts made the list of questions once again expand. What were they? How was it possible? What could they do?  
Harry would have asked but it didn't seem to polite under the circumstances. He had time. Food first.

To his right Hermione was badgering Percy about the upcoming lessons. She seemed very eager to start immediately, not that Harry could fault her. He too wanted them to start so he could ask his Professors the questions that plagued him. Learning from books only was very tiresome. Hopefully Liara would get the knowledge VI up and running soon. Until then the best he could hope for was a brute force search through all the books that had been scanned so far.  
It was a far cry from the interactive, smart knowledge base he enjoyed to use in the 'normal' subjects.

About an hour later Harry was getting sleepy. He looked up at the High Table where most of the staff had finished eating and was engaged in conversation. He was curious who his teachers were.  
Dumbledore didn't teach anything but occasionally took gifted students under his wing, like Harry's grandfather, and taught them advanced Transfiguration and rarer magics. His father had also been offered that honour but temporarily declined because of the war.  
Minerva McGonagall he knew to teach Transfiguration, thanks to his parents' journals. The tiny Professor Flitwick who was suspected to have goblin-blood was easily recognizable and had been Lily's favourite teacher. Hagrid also stood out and the wizard that seemed to miss a few limbs sitting next to the half-giant was probably Professor Kettleburn, the teacher for Care for Magical Creatures.

The rest were a mystery for the moment. Harry couldn't be sure if some of the teachers were still the same as during his parents' time or had since changed. Letting his eyes drift over them, he amused himself by trying to assign subjects to the unknown people. He was watching one of them in a turban, facing away from Harry to speak with one of his colleagues, a man with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin. He decided the Turban was teaching Divination and he of the greasy hair was a shoo in for Defence Against the Dark Arts, or maybe just the Dark Arts.

Suddenly that unknown teacher shifted his gaze a fraction and looked past the turban, straight into Harry's eyes. The second they made eye contact a sharp, hot pain welled up just behind Harry's forehead. He yelped in pain, clasping his head.

'_Harry, what's wrong?_' Liara asked worriedly. Harry's lenses projected a floating image of her sitting in the shuttle that she had landed somewhere nearby. Over the feast she had kept an eye on things but her main focus was working on the plans for Potter Hall. Now he had her undivided attention.

"What is it?" Percy asked at the same time.

"Nothing," Harry mumbled to both of them. The pain was gone again but he didn't like how the unknown teacher had looked at him. He decided to ask Percy about him.

"Who's that teacher talking to the one with the turban?"

"The one with the turban?" Percy asked confused, then he took a look at the High Table. "Oh you mean Professor Quirrell? He's the one with the turban. The other is Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to. Strange to see them talking, after Quirrell got Snape's dream job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape. Wonder why Dumbledore didn't give him the job."

Harry had blanched at the name Snape. This was the school-nemesis of his father? And he was his Potions Professor? That didn't sound too good to Harry. And what was Dumbledore thinking, employing someone like Snape?  
Harry decided to talk with Liara later. He needed some battle-plan. He would also write Remus a letter. He got the impression that his father's friend wasn't too happy about the decisions Dumbledore had made, so maybe he could help.

At last, the deserts disappeared and Dumbledore made his real speech, warning the new students and reminding some old ones to not enter the forest on the grounds which was, like its name suggested, forbidden. Finally after some more mundane notices like Quidditch trials and school rules he dropped a bomb on them.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry laughed with a few others. He didn't take the Headmaster's words too seriously, but quickly quieted down when he saw Percy's serious face as he frowned at Dumbledore.

"Does he mean that? He can't be serious, can he?" he asked.

"He must be," he received as answer. "Strange that he didn't give a reason, he usually does - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows - but he didn't even tell us Prefects."

Dumbledore led the students through the school song. Instead of trying to get everyone to sing to the same tune, he advised them to just pick their own. It was strange but funny. Most people were in stitches when the Weasley twins finished to a slow, mournful funeral march.

Soon later, only slightly delayed by Peeves the poltergeist, found the first year Gryffindor boys in their dormitory. Harry shocked his fellow first years by unceremoniously stripping down completely for bed. He had forgotten that nudity was taboo, the page 3 girl notwithstanding, and didn't seem to notice his peers' red faces as he flopped down on his four-poster and closed the curtains.

Thankfully his roommates were as tired as he was. Only through a supreme effort of will did Harry stay awake long enough to feel safe enough to have a short discussion with Liara.

Unlike Harry she hadn't completely read James' and Lily's journals yet. She had looked over a few snippets Harry had shown her though and had only a vague idea who Severus Snape was. Harry brought her up to speed as fast as he could. He wanted to have a plan before tomorrow since he didn't know what classes he would have.

'_Whatever you do, Harry,_' she advised. '_don't let him intimidate you. Don't go in there to pick a fight. Be polite and don't antagonize him unless he does it first. If he does, don't fight him directly. He's your teacher and will always have the upper hand. Go to McGonagall or Dumbledore. It's their job to help._'

Harry didn't like it. He had always been independent and didn't want to be a snitch but he also knew Liara wouldn't leave him alone if he didn't follow her advice.

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly. He wasn't too worried. He considered himself pretty decent at Potions already. "So, what do you guess Dumbledore's hiding on the third floor?"

'_Harry?_' Liara suddenly sounded very serious. '_The Headmaster was very specific in his warning. I don't want you going there. Please reign in your curiosity this one time!_'

"Alright, alright, geez!" Harry promised, startled by Liara's sudden intensity. "I promise I won't go looking for trouble."

'_Don't make promises you can't keep, Harry,_' Liara said with more levity. '_But as long as you keep out of that corridor and the forest..._'

"So, how are the plans coming along?" Harry asked, trying to change the subject. "Any progress on the magic teacher VI?"

'_You know I'm not an expert in this,_' Liara sighed. '_I know my way around my omni-tool but programing a dedicated VI is a bit too much. And how am I supposed to set up a fusion reactor and cruiser-class shield emitters? You could probably do a better job than me. I need help._'

"So, who are you thinking of?" Harry said with a yawn. "How about that Quarian friend of yours? Cha-something?"

'_Tika?_' Liara asked surprised then fell silent, deep in thought. '_Actually that's not a bad idea! Now how do I sell it to mother..._'

Harry could tell his surrogate big sister was now in deep thinking mode and he wouldn't get anything coherent out of her for the next few hours. He wished her a good night, receiving a distracted replay in turn and was asleep almost as soon as he hit the disconnect button.

* * *

_1 hour later, aboard the Alexandria_

Liara was pacing in the small conference room, going over all her arguments in her head. Benezia had agreed to talk with her in five minutes and she just _had_ to convince to allow her to recruit Chatika'Zorah vas Paus. She needed someone to help her and she trusted the Quarian.

The communicator chimed. Liara took a deep breath and opened the connection. Immediately a hologram of her mother appeared in front of her.

"Hello Mother."

"Hello Little Wing," the Matriarch greeted her. "I trust Harry settled in nicely?"

"Well, yes," Liara replied, secretly glad for the slight delay. She knew she still had some issues with her mother. She was working on them but how could she not be intimidated by the formidable Matriarch Benezia? "There are a few unforeseen complications at Hogwarts, but nothing we can't handle. It's not Harry I'm calling you about, though. I need help."

"Help, Liara? What kind of help?"

"Where to start? Setting up the fusion reactor, the defence system at Potter Hall, figuring out how to adapt the teacher VI for magic... I'm an archaeologist, not an engineer, Mother," she finished exasperatedly.

"I see," Benezia responded with a slight smirk. "I guess you already have a solution to your problems?"

"Yes," Liara said, glad her mother grasped the problem. "I would like to enlist the help of the Quarian I've told you about. Chatika'Zorah vas Paus."

"Why do you think that would be safe?" Benezia asked. Liara was stumped. She had expected an immediate refusal followed by an intense discussion where she would try to make the Matriarch see things her way.

"She's a Quarian. Even if she told anybody, without evidence her word wouldn't count for anything. We can easily keep the important truths from her like where Earth is located, confiscate any recordings she could take, and if worse comes to worst totally discredit her.  
"We can easily buy her too. The Quarians always need good ships. Send one or two freighters their way each year and she will be more than happy to help.  
"But most importantly she's my friend. I trust her. She's always complaining how boring life on the flotilla is and how she would like to do a second pilgrimage. And she could really help me here."

Benezia regarded her daughter for several long minutes. She didn't dispute any of her arguments, just stared at the young Asari as if to gauge something elusive.

"Very well," she finally said. "I'll have Shiala do a thorough background check. If she's clean, you may approach her. You may negotiate her price up to two slightly used freighters in good condition, less than three hundred meters long. The payment will appear to be a semi-anonymous donation by the ORE corporation."

Liara was ecstatic. Having Harry around had made her realize how important companionship was. With him now at school it would be hard, but with Tika here she probably wouldn't feel so alone.

* * *

_3 hours later, Gryffindor Tower, 1st year boy's bathroom_

Harry was currently hugging the toilet and puking his guts out.

'_I told you, not to eat too much, Harry,_' Liara chided him, but there was genuine worry in her voice. She had disabled the video feed from his lenses - she so did not want to see what Harry saw. '_Your stomach isn't used to all the fat food anymore. You have to take things slowly._'

_Stupid stomach,_ Harry thought while he heaved again. _I'll never eat that stuff again!_

* * *

**Codex:**

_Hogwarts Syllabus:_

_History of Magic_: HoM appears to be thoroughly boring and like I said before, written by the winners. Liara especially will want answers. I'll try for an unique take on Binns.  
First year - Dark Ages  
Second year - Goblin Wars of the Renaissance  
Third year - Modern Magical Landscape (geography, more wars)  
Fourth year - Statute of Secrecy and its implications, Wizengamot (political education part 1)  
Fifth year - Ministry of Magic, ICW, Dominance of British Wizards (political education part 2)  
Sixth year - Ancient Cultures (Atlantis, Egypt, Sumeria)  
Seventh year - Rome, Precursor of Britain

_Charms_: There's a practical part and a theoretical part which partially overlaps with Arithmancy. The first four years are dedicated to simple spells. Useful, but the scope is more to get comfortable with using magic, learning the wand movements and practicing them until they come naturally. In 'my' magical theory there is a finite set of basic wand movements, although it's for Liara to discover the system behind it. The later years are dedicated to more complex charms that go beyond a simple flick and a one or two word incantation. Interwoven charms and enchanting (spelling objects so they have a new, magical function) are NEWT level.

* * *

**AN:** A couple of thoughts about the train ride. It's a common misconception that Hermione and Neville shared a compartment. It's possible, I guess, but unlikely. Neville came to Harry's and Ron's compartment first, searching for Trevor. He had obviously been looking for quite some time already. He left for a moment, probably moving to the next one and almost immediately returning with Hermione so she was probably only one or two compartments away. She probably offered to join Neville in his hunt since that's who Hermione is. They were in the last carriage so there would be no choice but go forward, bringing them again to Harry and Ron's compartment.  
As for the Weasleys: Molly and her 'shouting about Muggles' was a deus ex machina. Perfectly suitable for a children's book. That's all it was. Obviously it's perfect to start conspiracy theories, so I poked a little fun at it.  
Same goes for Ron seeking Harry out. Of course he did! Ron grew up without friends, with only his older brothers and Ginny for company (as far as we know at least and it certainly looks that way). It's debatable if he told Harry a white lie about all other compartments being full. Debatable since in third year the trio + Ginny only found one compartment that had four free seats.  
He might simply have tried to make a friend and Harry being without anyone would have been a good start.  
He's still a berk, though.

The first three Harry Potter books are children's books, where it's perfectly acceptable to leave a baby on a doorstep, where the old, wise wizard is unfailing and the greasy git untouchable.  
This isn't a children's tale, although I will pick up a couple of oddities from the book to try to make sense of them - or mercilessly poke fun at them.


	11. The First Signs of Revolution

**AN:** As always, many thanks to all reviewers, subscribers and especially to my two betas Debye and Aella!

**Last time:** Hogwarts Express, The Sorting  
**This time:** The first week, Snape

* * *

Harry was currently hugging the toilet and puking his guts out.

'_I told you not to eat too much, Harry,_' Liara chided him, but there was genuine worry in her voice. She had disabled the video feed from his lenses - she so did not want to see what Harry saw. '_Your stomach isn't used to all the fat food anymore. You have to take things slowly._'

_Stupid stomach,_ Harry thought while he heaved again. _I'll never eat that stuff again!_

* * *

**Chapter 10: The First Signs of Revolution**

_Monday, September 2, 1991  
5:00  
Hogwarts_

The first one up in the castle after his early morning prayer to the porcelain god, Harry decided to wander around a bit, trying to map what he saw to what he had read about the place. First he sought out the abandoned classroom in the back of the History Wing, converted into a student hangout aeons ago and subsequently forgotten for good. His father had mentioned it a couple of times as an ideal base of operations, praising its many virtues. Located on the first floor it provided relatively easy access to all parts of the castle. The door was hidden behind a large wardrobe at the end of the seldom used History Corridor. Very few, including the human staff, would stumble upon the classroom accidentally and there was no reason to seek it out.

It was obvious that the room hadn't been in use for a long time, maybe even since the Marauders had used it as their secret gathering place. It wasn't dirty - apparently the House Elves, whatever they were, still took care of it - but there was a certain aura that spoke of abandonment. The old couches and armchairs, probably dragged into the room by long forgotten students to make the room more relaxing, were covered by off-white blankets and the tapestries on the walls were fading. There were a couple of chairs and tables pushed to one side, arranged to form an improvised workspace that had long ago become more permanent. Several potion stains testified their usage.  
The two large windows opened to a mossy, enclosed courtyard hidden away and forgotten, only accessible from an entirely different part of the castle; the perfect escape route. One only had to climb or jump down a floor to shake off pursuers.

To pass some time, Harry did a couple of biotic and magical exercises. He didn't dare doing anything flashy but he didn't want to become lax - Benezia would have his hide. He spent fifteen minutes tying and retying his shoelaces using his biotics and trying to hover. He wasn't strong enough yet to lift himself only using his own strength, not by a long shot, but he would get there, hopefully.

'Biotic flight' was something only the very best ever accomplished, most only managed to make themselves float or propel themselves in awkward ballistic hops. It required a steady force countering the gravitational force exactly, a task that was taxing both because of the raw power and the control required. It was also only possible using the old way, as it required a constant application of force, whereas the new physical mnemonic triggers only supplied a burst of force.  
For now all Harry could do was make himself bounce a bit on the couch. Liara had only recently managed to make herself hover for a minute or two and even that feat exhausted her like a four-hour training session. Benezia managed almost half an hour and wasn't limited to drift around almost aimlessly.

Having finished his biotic exercises Harry went over the spells he figured would be taught over the next two months. His mother had been very thorough, listing every spell she'd learned in her first term as well as some pointers on common mistakes. It took Harry almost the whole of August to learn the spells. Apparently Ollivander had been right about his wand requiring hard work, but by now he was confident he could do them all, including some minor useful charms like the teethbrushing one he had taught Hermione.

Percy had told them the night before that breakfast would be served from seven to ten, but classes didn't start before nine on the first day. When Harry entered the Great Hall at ten past seven it was very clear that most students and professors took advantage of that fact and had a bit of a lie in. Harry counted one female Professor he didn't know, Hagrid, six Slytherins, six Ravenclaws, eight Hufflepuffs and only two Gryffindors.

He joined Percy and Hermione who were deep in conversation about something or another.

"Morning," he mumbled, getting a 'Morning, Harry' in return.  
Harry wasn't in a particularly good mood. He hadn't slept much and he still felt queasy. Deciding to forgo the sausages, bacon and other fried traitors, as their very sight and scent almost made him retch again, he looked for something that would help settle his stomach. Maybe a bit of buttered toast and some white yoghurt wouldn't trigger a second trip to the lavatory.

"As I was saying, Professor McGonagall will probably make you change a match into a needle. The trick is the slight downwards movement of the tip at the end. Remember to make the 'o' in the incantation long. The proper wand movement and incantation is very important in Transfiguration," Percy advised an eagerly listening Hermione. Harry snorted from suppressed laughter. That wasn't what his father and grandfather wrote. They both gave him an affronted look.

"Excuse me! It is _very_ important to do things the _proper_ way," Percy said pompously.

"In Charms maybe," Harry said with a shrug. "And even there I have my doubts."

"And what would you know about things," Percy said icily while Hermione continued to look outraged. "You're a first year and term hasn't even started yet."

Harry just gave another unconcerned shrug and went back to nibbling his toast. He really wasn't in the mood for a drawn out discussion.

Slowly as Harry sipped from his giant mug of tea his fellow students trickled in. By eight most of his dorm mates sat around him, enjoying their breakfast and continuing their light conversation from yesterday's feast. Harry only paid half attention as he waited for his target. He had spent most of last week preparing his little prank, a hommage to his father.

When Malfoy entered with his two bodyguards, Harry turned around to rifle through his bag. He sat with his back to the wall and he hoped nobody would notice him. The odds were good with the hubbub going on around him.  
Unstopping a small bottle he used his biotics to throw it in a high arc over the tables. Timing was crucial as he grabbed a book and turned around swiftly, scanning the ceiling for the free-falling bottle from behind his screen. In the last moment he saw it and caught it again with his biotics and set to work. What he did was risky, since if someone looked very closely they might see very faint blue wisps around him, but they would need to look for them.

The potion was his mother's creation and a very effective hair dye. A single drop and after a minute or two it would change the colour to a luminous Gryffindor crimson for a day. Lily had developed it as her contribution to the Quidditch Cup Finale in her sixth year, which the Gryffindors, captained by his father, won.

Five minutes later the Slytherin table was in uproar while the other three shook with laughter. The table wasn't full but Harry guessed half of Slytherin now sported red hair for the day. He tried not to look smug and surreptitiously wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow. Manipulating things at such a great distance with that amount of precision, even if they were light, was taxing.

Meanwhile Snape was stalking down the Gryffindor's table, obviously looking for the culprit. His gaze lingered a little longer on Harry who looked away, desperately trying not to look guilty. He was certain his father's old nemesis would say something, accuse him, but in that moment the Weasley twins entered the Great Hall. One look at the Slytherin table and they broke out in loud guffaws.

Snape tore his eyes from Harry and swiftly made his way towards them, cloak billowing behind him. Harry felt sorry for the duo as Snape started ranting and accusing them, but before the Potions professor could deduct points or assign detentions, Dumbledore entered and spoke quietly to Snape. Harry couldn't hear what the two said, but from the grins on Fred and George and the wild gesticulation from Snape he could guess. In the end Snape stalked away with a murderous expression etched on his face.

"So, did you do it?" Harry heard someone ask the twins as things settled down a bit and the two redheads joined their friends. "And did you get detention?"

"No," said one of the twins.

"and no," finished the other. "We didn't do it and Dumbledore gave us an alibi."

"Whoever did that was brilliant though. Seems to me..."

"...that we got some competition this year, brother mine."

Harry barely suppressed a satisfied smirk. Letting his attention wander to the still tumultuous Slytherin table, he caught Hermione staring at him, a disapproving frown on her face. Harry's eyes widened a fraction. Somehow she knew, but how?

But even if she wanted to say something, Professor McGonagall forestalled it by handing out the schedules. Harry took a look at it and frowned. He was used to irregular study hours as the tutor and knowledge VI's made learning and playing pretty seamless and would include a lesson when he wanted or when it was appropriate, but he had expected something like his old school from Hogwarts: A very condensed schedule, four to five periods in the morning, five or six days a week.

This however was all over the place:

**Monday:** 11:00-12:45 - Transfiguration (H); 14:00-14:45 - Herbology (R); 16:00-16:45 - History (R )  
**Tuesday:** 10:00-11:45 - Defence Against the Dark Arts (H); 16:00-16:45 - History (R); 17:00-17:45 Transfiguration (H)  
**Wednesday:** 9:00-10:45 - Charms (R); 14:00-14:45 - Defence Against the Dark Arts (H); 15:00-15:45 - Herbology (R )  
**Thursday: **00:00-1:45 - Astronomy (H); 12:00-12:45 - Charms (R); 14:00-14:45 - Herbology (R)  
**Friday:** 10:00-11:45 - Potions(S)

Okay, Astronomy at night from Wednesday to Thursday made sense as did a late start the next day. However there were never more than two consecutive periods of forty-five minutes. Later today they had double Transfiguration, then after lunch followed a single period of Herbology and an hour later History of Magic. Tuesday wasn't much different. Double Defence Against the Dark Arts in the morning and a single period of Transfiguration and History each in the afternoon. Wednesday was the fullest with double Charms in the morning, Defence and Herbology in the afternoon and Astronomy at night. Thursday and Friday by contrast were almost empty with only one period of Charms and Herbology and a double period of Potions respectively.  
All told eighteen periods, less than fourteen hours, haphazardly distributed over the entire week. Harry wondered why that was.

Apparently Hermione was too, as she had given up frowning at him and studied her schedule, worrying her lower lip in thought. His other classmates were groaning about the course load, while the older students regaled them with stories how boring History and how much of a git Snape was. A few commiserated over the full Wednesday but ultimately could only tell them to buckle up and adapt because third year was worse.

* * *

_Monday, September 2, 1991  
12:00  
Hogwarts, Transfiguration Classroom_

Harry's stomach grumbled. After losing most of yesterday's feast and abstaining from a proper breakfast he was getting really hungry. He still had almost an hour to go, though, as there was another period of Transfiguration. Thankfully Professor McGonagall had moved on to the practical part.

Over the last hour she had given them a thorough overview of what could go wrong if one didn't pay attention when transfiguring things. She had listed a great many rules they better follow if they didn't want to end up in the hospital wing, like never ever transfigure anything on another person or themselves until they really knew what they were doing. Harry had read a lot about Transfiguration but all the books never mentioned what could go wrong when the caster disregarded the environment. Harry really didn't want to risk suffocating from suddenly too tight robes.

After those important safety rules McGonagall went on to describe their first spell. Like Percy predicted they were to transfigure matches into needles. The Professor had shown them the proper wand movement a couple of times and lead them into a chorus saying the incantation _Immuto Acum_. Harry had the suspicion he would need to learn Latin sometime soon.

Harry had practised the transfiguration before, not with matches but small twigs and pine needles instead. The principle was the same though. What surprised Harry was that McGonagall mentioned only in passing what his grandfather had called the Secret to Transfiguration: Visualization.

_Dad finally replied to my last letter and gave me some tips. He said Transfiguration was mostly a discipline of the mind. The best form and pronunciation won't help much if I can't picture what I want properly and focus on it. Will is a part of it, but less than in Charms. [...]_

_- JCP, September 15, 1971_

Harry smirked as the Professor handed out the matches. While his classmates were trying their wands on the assignment, he took things more slowly. He didn't really need to try, he knew he could do it, but succeeding on his first official try would arouse suspicion. He didn't want people to know he could do magic at Potter Hall. The privilege could be revoked if he wasn't careful, but he wouldn't drastically underplay his accomplishments either. And if his teachers took him more seriously because of it, all the better.

Halfway through the period he finally gave in, mostly due to the superior smirks Hermione kept giving him. Her match was already a bit pointy, something nobody else had managed so far. For her benefit he exaggeratedly waved his wand and spoke the incantation very clearly.

"Mate, you've done it!" Ron who was sitting next to him exclaimed in wonder. Hermione smirk had morphed into a shocked expression. Now it was Harry's turn to smirk. It wasn't really fair, but he enjoyed tweaking her buttons a bit. He did the same with Liara.

"My word, Mr. Potter," McGonagall apparently had heard Ron. "It's rare to see a successful transfiguration on the first day of classes. You have clearly inherited your father's and grandfather's talent. Take fifteen points for Gryffindor for an excellent transfiguration.  
"Now let's see if you can manage to transfigure your quill into a duster. Instead of the piercing movement at the end, you give it a wave like this. The incantation is _Immuto Peniculum_."

She searched Harry's table for a moment with her eyes, apparently not finding what she was looking for. "Mr. Potter, where is your quill? And what's this?" she asked, pointing at his pen and notebook.

"I don't have one, Professor. I use a fountain pen instead," Harry answered, hoping she would let it go. He really didn't want to unpack his quills and parchment from his trunk.

"That is highly irregular, Mr. Potter," she said in a stern voice.

"Uhm, why, Professor? I mean, it's much easier to carry and organize, the pen doesn't blot and I get cramps from using quills," Harry tried to make his case. McGonagall's lips formed a very thin line and she looked as if she had bitten into something sour.

"Very well Mr. Potter, you have my permission to use these tools for you personal notes," she finally said. "Any essays you get assigned are to be written on parchment, however you may use your 'fountain pen'. During exams you will need to use the quills and parchment that are provided to you."

Harry grumbled a bit but nodded. It was a partial win but he still didn't really like it. What was it with these people and their backwardness?

As McGonagall moved on, Harry leaned over to Ron who was swinging his wand around enthusiastically to borrow a quill to finish his next assignment. He hadn't tried this particular transfiguration before but was confident he could manage it by the end of the class or at least give it a good shot. Before he got to it, his eyes briefly met with Hermione's who now had a contemplative expression and was once more biting her lower lip. She didn't really seem to see him though so Harry shrugged and got to work.

* * *

_Friday, September 6, 1991  
8:31  
Hogwarts, Harry's Hideout (unused classroom in the History Wing)_

Harry put the finishing touches to his Charms essay and checked the result one last time, watched over by Hedwig who perched on the curtain rail. He had been quick to settle into a routine that left him lots of free time. He would usually wake up at half-past six and do some biotic exercises at the crack of dawn in his secret hideout so nobody would notice a thing. After some breakfast at the near-empty Gryffindor table - only very few of the lions ventured into the Great Hall before half-past seven and only if they had classes early - he retreated back to the abandoned classroom to do his homework. Liara had been relentless and strongarmed him into working hard. It helped that Harry was used to the longer days of the Asari homeworld.

It worked out well in the end, although it was too early in the term to really tell. Most of the day he had nothing to do besides classes and could explore the castle or devote himself to his own studies at his leisure. His normal classes - physics, chemistry, galactic languages and cultures among others - were on a backburner but he still got assignments from his tutor VI, Obi-Wan.

Despite not having a 'magic module' specifically geared towards the knowledge of the magical world, the VI was worth its virtual weight in Eezo. Over the week Harry had augmented his hideout into a more useful workspace - totally virtual of course - with the help of his virtual tutor.  
Lifesized vids of his favourite Skyball players' moves, only visible through his special lenses, replaced the tapestries of ancient wizards - only one depicting a fierce battle between goblins and wizards was left untouched because he liked it.  
In the middle of the room floated a three-dimensional, interactive reference tree for whatever project he currently worked on. A dedicated research VI combed the book database for any related snippet and sorted it into the tree. It was a handy tool to speed up cross referencing and tangential research.  
Where once the teacher's lectern stood, Harry arranged the essay he was currently working on by placing representations of the building blocks of the text in the order he liked. One side of the blackboard displayed the current version of the text, already corrected and most of the grammatical kinks worked out. Harry was only responsible for the wording and the logical arrangement. He still went over the final result, eliminating strange and awkward turns and phrases, as the VI's English wasn't perfect. The process really cut down on the writing time and even more important the length of the final essay. Harry was conditioned to be concise, one of the hallmarks of a good scientist. And he really disliked writing by hand which he still had to do later in the common room or the library.

The opposite half of the room was dedicated to his own interest and the only place that physically showed that the classroom was once again in use. Harry continued his potion research despite Liara's protests, but as an acknowledgement to her safety concerns he didn't diverge too far from the known recipes, either from his mother's journals or published potion books. At least as long as he didn't know how to protect himself by magical means.  
His brews he sent with Hedwig to Liara - the owl could find the Asari just fine as long as she was near Potter Hall and not in space - to be analyzed in the Alexandria's advanced lab.  
The only thing they found out so far was that the active part of the potions were sub-microscopic element zero chains, similar to proteins in living beings throughout the galaxy. Sadly the instruments weren't good enough to do more than a preliminary investigation. Details how the chains were structured eluded them as did the answer to the question if all the Eezo came from the ingredients or if like in Biotics it somehow partially assembled itself. That particular answer would have to wait.

One wall and a bit of a corner appeared to be missing but rather showed what was happening outside in the hallway. A small camera drone positioned above the wardrobe transmitted the image to his omni-watch. Harry was proud of that little bit of programing, trivial as it was. Getting the angles and everything right had been difficult but the effect was pretty cool in his opinion. The single drone was a bit of a gamble since it could in theory be found, but Harry doubted anyone would look for it and a bit of forewarning was always nice if someone came sniffing around. It wouldn't do for someone to see him gesturing wildly like a madman.

'_Harry, Liara calls,_' his personal MUSE-VI appeared before him in her traditional Princess Leia outfit and hairstyle. She kept track of his schedule, telling him when he was running late on classes while Obi-Wan made sure he didn't forget his assignments. He often played devil's advocate, questioning everything Harry was currently working on. It gave him the illusion of actual intelligence but Harry was aware that it was only a clever trick. Actual AIs were outlawed after all.  
Which brought on an interesting question: How should the talking and acting people in the portraits be classified? And what about the Sorting Hat? VI? AI? Something else?  
Harry had done a little research and stumbled upon the term 'Limited Artificial Intelligence with Individual Personality Matrix'. It had originally been coined by a Quarian researcher just before the Morning War to describe the new self-awareness some Geth showed but had since fallen out of use.

Harry thought the description fit, more or less. The portraits and the hat were artificial; someone created them. They were limited because unlike a regular AI they couldn't improve themselves apparently and had clear, restricted lines of interaction. And they were individuals with their own personal quirks, alright. It seemed to Harry that each and every one had an attitude, especially the Sorting Hat and the Fat Lady.  
But where was the 'brain', for lack of a better term? Every computer had a place where it did the computing but the paintings were just that - canvas and oil colours. If Harry would hazard a guess he would bet there was some Eezo in there as well but for now he couldn't prove it.

'_Harry? Liara is waiting,_' Leia's voice pulled him back into the present.

"Sorry, got a bit distracted just now. Put her through," Harry said as he turned towards the mirror that hung on the inside of a wardrobe in a corner. A second later his own reflection was replaced by Liara's face. It was much easier to talk face to face. She appeared to have just woken up.

'_Morning, Harry,_' she grumbled in her typical early morning grumpiness. '_Shall we go over the plan again?_'

"Do we have to?" Harry whinged. "And good morning to you too."

'_I'm just trying to look out for you, Harry,_' Liara rebuked him with a glare. Harry wondered if she already had her morning coffee. Something must have shown on his face, because Liara closed her eyes. '_Sorry. I just don't like this, at all,_' she continued with a much softer expression.

"Go get some coffee, Liara," Harry chuckled. "I know you need it. And thanks. I know I can count on you."

Liara just graced him with an annoyed growl but from what Harry could see, she followed his advice.

"So, any news?" Harry asked her as she prepared the coffee. "Have you written to Tika yet?"

'_No, I wanted to wait until your little potion crisis is dealt with,_' Liara said while the coffee pot blubbered. '_If things go badly today we might need to leave._'

"Now you're exaggerating, Liara!" Harry accused.

'_Harry, I know you,_' Liara said exasperatedly but not without a small smile tugging at her lips. '_You don't back down and from what we've seen Snape doesn't either. If he's going to make trouble, I fear for Earth. Please just try to keep your temper in check._'

'_But that reminds me,_' Liara said after it was clear Harry wasn't going to answer. '_Mother has an idea how to make History of Magic more interesting._'

"Thank the goddess! Or Merlin or whatever. I swear the second time it was even harder to stay awake! If the trend continues, by October I would slump down unconscious as soon as I enter the classroom."

'_Yes, I know how you feel,_' Liara shuddered. '_I've never been in such a boring history lecture, and I survived Matriarch Orella's course on Transitional Economics in pre-Industrial cultures. Anyway, mother thinks Binns is bored._'

"Come again? _He_'s bored?"

'_Mother may have a point,_' Liara continued, ignoring Harry's outburst. '_I've done some research. That man has taught for over three hundred years, most of them as a ghost. Immagine repeating the same material over and over again for that time. History doesn't change fast enough to stay interesting. That's why I prefer Archeology - you can always find something new._'

"Maybe, but how does this help? His class is still boring!"

'_Mother advises to guide him off the beaten path. I'm writing up a catalogue of questions that should do the trick. Magical History is very linear and seldom recognizes cause and effect beyond the obvious. Since he lived through most of the history covered it should be easy to incite him with a few pointed questions about social dynamics. It will be your task to make Binns see the value of those questions and that they are worth pursuing._'

"So, basically revolutionize a subject that's been literally death for almost three hundred years. Should be easy, we'll be done by Christmas," Harry snarked. "Anyway, it's showtime. Wish me luck."

* * *

Harry met with Ron Weasley near the dungeon entrance with ten minutes to spare. Ron was setting himself up as Harry's best friend, though he was a bit of a git at times. He tended to say what was on his mind with no regard to who might hear his sometimes offensive remarks.  
Most of the time he was a good bloke though. He helped Harry pull off one or two minor pranks and was always ready for some exploring, playing chess or just generally killing time. They made a game out of trying to spot all the tiny runeclusters the Marauders had placed all over the castle when they made their map. Harry was still hoping he would find it someday, but he didn't want to break into Filch's, the caretaker's, office, the reportedly last place the map was in. Nevertheless, a complete map of the castle, with all the hidden passageways sounded dead useful.  
Without the actual map the runes were useless. They needed to be bound to the map, and so far, runic magic was still out of Harry's grasp. Besides, while the runes had a couple of very interesting features like something akin to a face recognition VI without the need of a reference but actual cameras would be more helpful most of the time. For now he would use the original notes containing every find the Marauders made to create a virtual map of Hogwarts, but that would require some work, especially considering the erratic and ongoing reconfiguration of the place.

However, this was only one time-consuming long-term plan he had. One of these days he would need to scan the library because it was simply huge - easily ten times the size of his library at Potter Hall.  
As much as he liked the place from a purely aesthetic point of view, hauling heavy tomes around wasn't his idea of efficient working. Thankfully Ron wasn't keen on studying, so he hadn't noticed that Harry never really worked in either the library or the common room and it seemed as long as Harry helped him with pointers for his own work he never would. In that regard he was the safest of his peers.

Harry had made a point of speaking to each of his yearmates in Gryffindor and to get to know them. Not just the boys but also the girls. Most seemed pretty okay and he could see himself having fun with them. They at least didn't gawk at him in the hallway every time he went past, as did half the castle's population. Apparently after a few lessons they decided he was just another kid like them, something he very much appreciated.  
To be fair most of Gryffindor slowly acclimated to his presence. He would still get a few stares and hushed whisperings each night in the common room from his housemates but they weren't nearly as bad as the openly admiring glances he got from some Hufflepuffs or the calculating appraisals of the Ravenclaws and Slytherins. Harry still hoped like his roommates they would all eventually get over it.

The Gryffindor first year boys had already formed an easy camaraderie. On Wednesday evening before Astronomy they stayed together in the boys' dorm and talked about quidditch and football while sharing some treats they had managed to smuggle in from home. Well, mostly Ron, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas did the talking, with some minor questions and contributions from Harry and Neville. Harry would have liked to share the wonders of skyball with the other boys since he still thought it was the best sport, but he obviously couldn't. Thankfully he had a working knowledge of both quidditch and football, even if he never played them, so he didn't feel completely left out.

Neville had a harder time, thanks to his shyness, but he seemed very glad to be around other children his age. From what he told them, prior to Hogwarts he lived with his grandmother who was apparently very strict and more or less confined him to their home which from his halting descriptions was similar to Potter Hall - an ancestral manor far from prying muggle eyes. As he was homeschooled like Ron but didn't have the advantage of siblings, Hogwarts was his first experience with others his age. Harry felt sympathy for the boy - he was clearly out of his depth, even more so than Harry.

The girls were a bit harder to get to know since for some reason Harry couldn't fathom, boys and girls didn't interact much. He managed to speak with most of them either during one of the meals, while waiting for a teacher or in the common room after dinner, though.  
Sadly Lavender, Parvati and Alice Tolipan had nothing in common with him. They weren't overly interested in academics or sports but more in gossip and boys - though Harry was a boy, he apparently didn't rate as worth gossiping about yet. Girls!  
Where the three had an overabundance of words, Sally-Anne barely said five words to Harry. That girl was even shyer than Neville!  
Apart from Hermione, Fay Dunbar seemed to be the only interesting girl, in Harry's opinion. She could talk Quidditch all day and knew a bit about potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts, thanks to her Auror father. Now if only Seamus and Ron would acknowledge that a discussion with a girl about sports could be interesting, things would be perfect.

Hermione frustrated him. She was easily the most intelligent of the Gryffindors, probably the whole year. She was the only one that not only kept up with him in classes but aside from practical casting where he had an unfair advantage, she almost always beat him.  
However, after being friendly on the train ride, Hermione had retreated and become distant towards Harry. He guessed she hadn't liked how he took care of Malfoy. And there was the prank on Monday. Harry was almost sure she knew it had been him.  
Twice now they had gotten into an argument in class, once in Charms and once in Transfiguration, because of different views on the subject. Harry actually enjoyed those lively discussions because they reminded him of studying with Liara. He was also taught to seek out opposing viewpoints, challenge them but respect them by trying to keep an open mind. He couldn't understand why Hermione was so cold towards him after what he viewed as a spirited exchange of ideas. It was a shame in his opinion because they obviously had the most in common in their year, at least academically speaking and she had been fun during the train ride. He hadn't given up hope to befriend her though, even if she had to loosen up a bit in his opinion.

Already most of his peers started to form cliques. Not that they were unfriendly towards or even ignoring the others, they just tended to spend more time with their closer friends or partner with them in classes when allowed. Ron filled that spot for Harry, at least for now.

"You ready for Potions, mate?" Ron asked as they made their way towards the classroom. "Fred and George told me Snape hates us Gryffindors. He makes Potions hell for anyone not in Slytherin."

"Guess we'll find out soon," Harry said with an unconcerned shrug. Inwards he was shaking. To distract himself from what was to come, he thought of his afternoon tea with Hagrid. Hedwig had arrived with the invitation during breakfast and Harry had been glad to accept. It was something to look forward to.

The first year Gryffindors had Potions together with the Slytherins. Whoever came up with that pairing had obviously lost contact with reality. The hostilities between those two houses were the stuff of legends after all. Penning them together into the already highly volatile environment of a potion laboratory was just asking for trouble. Why couldn't they share History? Then again, Binns probably wouldn't even notice if there was a Krogan Invasion much less open warfare between school children in his classroom.

The potions lab itself didn't disappoint. It looked exactly the part of the evil potioneers lair - complete with pickled animals in glass jars and a coldness that left the students glad they wore their warm robes. Harry wondered how it would be in deep winter.  
Snape's entrance, cloak a-billowing, fitted perfectly to the setting.

Any delusions that Snape would turn out to be a friendly chap were immediately squashed during roll call. Like Flitwick, Snape singled Harry out but where the diminutive Charms Professor had been delighted to the point where he fell off his bookstack, the Head of House Slytherin left no doubt of his contempt of their 'new _celebrity_'.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," Snape whispered ominously into the silent classroom. Nobody dared to make a sound. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic..."

Harry quickly tuned out the Professors little speech. In his probably biased opinion Snape was a self-absorbed wanker and just a tiny bit too much in love with his subject. Not that there was anything wrong with Potions but 'the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron' sounded way too melodramatic in Harry's opinion.

'_I have to say, he's got style,_' Liara commented after Snape finished, not without a blunt jab at his students, calling them dunderheads.

'_He's a creepy git, he is,_' Harry whispered under his breath as he took in his classmates. Ron looked at him with raised eyebrows, a sentiment Harry returned unreservedly. Hermione seemed very eager to prove herself while the rest of the Gryffindors varied between wariness - Dean - or outright panic - Neville. The Slytherins however looked perfectly at ease.

"Potter!" Snape suddenly barked. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry had no clue. He dimly remembered reading about those two ingredients and they might have been combined once or twice but off the top of his head he couldn't remember any specific recipe. He was vaguely aware that Ron seemed even more confused as he was, while Hermione's hand shot upwards.

'_I got this, Harry,_' Liara came to the rescue. '_Wait. It's a trick question. There are at least ten potions that require these two ingredients._'

"Could you please be more specific, Professor?" Harry asked as he glanced at the list with the results of Liara's search projected into his eye. He recognized the names of a couple of those potions but nothing that he remembered from his textbook.

"No. You obviously don't know the answer," Snape sneered, giving him a cold look. "Fame clearly isn't everything."

"But Professor..."

"Five points from Gryffindor, Potter, for trying to wheedle out from your ineptitude. Now let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched further upwards in her quest to get called on to answer. This time however, Harry actually knew the answer. Hopefully. He had read about bezoars and their use as powerful antidotes. At the time it seemed like an important safety notice so he remembered it.

"I would hope to find one in the cupboard over there, as it's a powerful antidote. No lab should be without some bezoars," he said, crossing his fingers for luck.

"That will be another two points from Gryffindor for your cheek. Obviously you can find potion ingredients in any properly stocked Apothecary or Potions Lab," there was no mistaking the malicious glee in Snape's eyes. Harry could hear Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle trying to contain their laughter. He began to wonder if he could actually answer the questions to the Professor's satisfaction.

"Last chance, Potter. What's the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

'_Just a moment, Harry,_' Liara once again whispered while Hermione's hand was now almost grazing the low ceiling. '_ to _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _they are the same._'

"They are the same, Professor," Harry answered after a moment, staring into Snape's black eyes, daring him to find fault or offence.

"Oh well done, Potter," Snape mocked. "Yet you failed to mention that the proper name is aconite. Half-answers don't count in my class. For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Drought of Living Death and the bezoar can be found in the stomach of a goat."

The Professor broke the staring match with Harry to look at his class. "And why aren't you writing that down?"

'_Easy, Harry,_' Liara tried to soothe an angry Harry. '_There's nothing you can do right now. Just try to get through the class and report Snape to McGonagall. He was clearly bullying you._'

The rest of the Potions lesson went even worse in Harry's opinion. Snape swooped around like an overgrown bat, taking delight in criticizing the Gryffindors while praising his Slytherins, especially Malfoy. He took another point from Harry because he failed to stop Neville who wasn't even his partner from making a mistake that melted the cauldron he was working with. It took all his strength and the combined efforts of Liara and Ron to keep Harry from retaliating.  
When Snape announced that he wouldn't grade Harry and Ron's potion since they had not followed the recipe he had provided them with but rather an improved version, Harry was ready to commit murder. He bottled a sample of the potion while Snape had his back turned and dragged Ron towards the Transfiguration classroom as soon as they were dismissed.

"Yes Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley? How can I help you?" Professor McGonagall asked them. She seemed irritated, which wasn't a big surprise. One of the sixth years that had just left her classroom sported cat ears.

"Professor, I want to complain about Professor Snape," Harry began. "He's blatantly bullying us Gryffindors and has singled me out. He asked me trick questions before we even had a single period with him and made me responsible for someone elses mistake. He refuses to grade Ron's and my work because we used superior instructions."

"Mr. Potter, that's nonsense and I don't have time for it. Professor Snape is a very competent Potions instructor. I know he is strict and exacting, but that's no reason to complain. Many students before you have made it through his classes and so will you. Now run along," she shooed them outside. Harry was livid but Ron dragged him away.

"Come on, mate. Told you there's nothing we can do," he said.

'_Harry, you should write the Headmaster,_' Liara advised Harry. He could hear she was angry as well. '_Dumbledore obviously has some interest in you. He'll hear you out._'

Liara was right. Not ten minutes after Harry had sent Hedwig off with a note to Dumbledore, Harry and Ron entered the Headmasters study, having received a reply almost immediately. Fawkes was sitting on a golden perch near the fireplace and gave them a squawk in greeting. Harry gave the bird a cheery wave while Ron gawked open-mouthed at all the wondrous things in the room.

"Ah, Harry, Mr. Weasley. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Dumbledore greeted them from behind his desk, gesturing for them to sit in the two armchairs in front of it.

'_Amazing. It looks exactly like in Fawkes memories,_' Liara commented as Harry let his gaze roam over the room.

"Professor, we want to complain about Professor Snape," Harry began, repeating almost word for word what he told McGonagall. Dumbledore seemed compassionate which made Harry hope.

"My dear boy, I completely trust Severus to give you an excellent education," Dumbledore began. Harry couldn't believe the man's words. For the first time he wondered if it had been a mistake, coming here, to this school. Dumbledore opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted by Fawkes who glided onto the table and fixed him with a glare. He gave an indignant squawk which made Harry mentally cheer him on.

"Hmm. Perhaps you should elaborate, Harry," Dumbledore finally said after holding Fawkes' gaze for a moment. He appeared rather amused by his phoenix' antics. Harry did his best to recount the Potion lesson, sometimes helped along by either Ron or Liara. At the end Dumbledore seemed sad.

"I wished I could help you, but your word alone won't suffice. Maybe if you could convince your classmates, but I'm no fool. The Gryffindors will obviously agree with you and the Slytherins oppose you, if only on principle."

"Professor, aren't there other options to know if someone's telling the truth?" Harry was certain he had read about a truth serum somewhere. He didn't fancy taking it, for obvious reasons, but maybe there was another way.

"There are," Dumbledore allowed. "But none that are admissible by the board of governors which is in charge of disciplinary actions against staff. However, if you consent to donate your memory of your lesson, I may curtail Severus' more blatant favouritism."

"How can we donate our memories? And would we keep them?" Harry was intrigued. It sounded like the wizards had something like the Asari Meld and could actually store memories.  
Dumbledore stood and fetched a shallow stone bowl, covered in runes and other symbols.

"This is a pensieve. I must ask you to keep it a secret, before we continue," he explained. After receiving twin nods he continued. "There is a way to extract a wizards memory and watch it inside such a device. This specific pensieve is a relic of the founders and one of Hogwarts many secrets, one of Rowena's more ingenious inventions. But maybe a demonstration is in order."

Dumbledore touched his wand to his temple. As he removed it again, a silvery string stuck to the tip, barely discernible from a strand of his white hair. He deposited it into the bowl, where it swirled and swapped, perpetually changing from vapor to fluid.

"Now dip your head into the bowl. I will be right behind you," Dumbledore commanded them. Sharing an apprehensive look with Ron, Harry went first. As soon as his face touched the substance, the room seemed to lurch and he fell forward _into_ the basin. It was an odd sensation. For a second he seemed to fall head-first and then he stood in the Great Hall, behind Dumbledore who sat in his throne-like golden chair. It was the night of the Sorting. A moment later Ron arrived, followed by Dumbledore.

The detail of the memory was amazing. Harry could walk the entire Great Hall and observe things Dumbledore could have never seen at the time. When Liara had shared her memory of her first Citadel visit with Harry he had seen everything from her perspective. What she didn't see or hear he couldn't either.

Harry and Ron watched their own Sorting in awe, watched how the entire hall grew silent as Harry seemed to take a long time to be sorted and how the hat mumbled 'Not another one' quietly before announcing Ron to be a Gryffindor.

Dumbledore watched them with silent amusement.

"Professor, do we have to watch the entire memory of the feast?" Harry asked curiously, as the food appeared on the tables.

"No, there is no need for that," Dumbledore chuckled, clearly enjoying his role as teacher. "Would you please look up?"

Harry and Ron complied but only saw the charmed nightsky. "I don't see anything," Ron ventured carefully.

"And neither should you, but let me ask you a question," the headmaster agreed mirthfully. "How did you enter the pensieve? And where would you expect the exit?"

Both boys took on an expression of deep concentration, still looking up at the ceiling. Suddenly Harry's eyes widened in realization. Hovering about an arm's length above him was what he could only call a hole in the air, filled with the same silvery stuff that swapped inside the pensieve. He could even see part of the headmaster's study through the strange mist.  
Seconds later he heard Ron gasp in surprise.

"Go ahead, touch it. I think the demonstration was a success." Harry could practically feel Dumbledore's eyes twinkling in merriment. With a rush upwards that felt like being sucked in by a giant vacuum, the three of them were once again standing around the low stone basin on the desk.

'_Harry! Thank the goddess!_' Liara suddenly shouted in Harry's ear while he was still dizzy from the transition. '_You just vanished for over twenty minutes! There was no signal from your omni or your transponder! Don't do that again!_'

'_I'm fine, tell you later,_' Harry tried to reassure her.

"Wicked!" was Ron's verdict. Harry tended to agree.

"Quite a fascinating device, yes," Dumbledore said with a smile. He swirled the silver stuff in the bowl with his wand and after a few circles gathered the strand up again and put it back into his head. "I didn't need to pick the memory up again for it to remain in my head, but there's no need having it lie around. Any lingering questions?"

"Sir, how is that much detail possible?" Harry asked. "I mean, I clearly saw you talking with Professor Flitwick, yet I could understand what Fred and George said to each other down at the Gryffindor table."

"Very observant of you, Harry," Dumbledore praised while combing his beard with his fingers. "As I've said, this pensieve was made by the founders and is tied to this school. Any memory that plays within the walls of this institution appears to be much clearer and complete. It's also impossible to falsify such a memory, or at least I know of no way. It's not perfect, as the memory-giver has to be at least subconsciously aware of what is going on around him, but yes, it is possible to spot happenings in the pensieve you didn't catch the first time.  
"Now, who wants to go first? Just think about your recent Potion lesson and concentrate on it. I'll take care of the rest."

Ron went first, scrunching his eyes shut in concentration. Like before, Dumbledore brought the tip of his wand to Ron's temple and extracted a silvery strand and put it in the bowl. Then it was Harry's turn. His memory went into a bottle for safekeeping.

They dove back in and watched Ron's memory of the lesson. Harry hoped Liara was prepared this time and wouldn't shout at him again. Thirty minutes later they reemerged. Harry noted with interest that for every three minutes inside, only one elapsed outside.

Dumbledore looked very sad and old as he sat back behind his table. He took off his half-moon glasses and rubbed his eyes with one hand in weariness.

"Harry, Mr. Weasley, I'm very sorry you had to endure his," he started to apologize. "While I always knew Severus is not the most pleasant man to be around, I never imagined him to be so full of vitriol. The points lost to Gryffindor will be restored, of course, and you earned an additional five points each for bringing this to my attention. Rest assured I will also have words with Professor Snape.  
"In the future, please inform Minerva of any further problems that arise. It might be prudent to continue securing samples of your potions and I will be more than happy to evaluate those if you feel you have been unfairly treated."

"Sir, we tried to talk to Professor McGonagall before coming to you," Harry told the Headmaster, not without a little bitterness in his voice. "She just brushed us off."

"Then I'll need to have words with her as well," Dumbledore said with a heavy sigh. "Now I fear it's almost time for lunch. Pip pip."

Ron and Harry trooped into the Great Hall in much better spirits. When they saw Dumbledore approaching both McGonagall and Snape their faces split into identical grins.

* * *

_Friday, September 6, 1991  
13:30  
Hogwarts, Headmaster's Study_

"Minerva, Severus, I called you here because two students have brought some very concerning tendencies to my attention," Dumbledore got uncharacteristically straight to the point. "Severus, your conduct in today's first year lesson was highly unprofessional and if it is indicative of your usual behaviour very damaging to our students. I expect you to do better in the future."

"This is about Potter, isn't it," Snape fumed. "He has the cheek of..."

"Yes, Harry has brought this to my attention," Albus cut across the potion master, a hint of steel in his voice. "As was his right to do. I have seen Mr. Weasley's memories of today's lesson and find that their complaint bears merit. The pettiness you showed in that class is beyond reason and it will stop right here. You will comport yourself in a manner befitting your station as a teacher at this honourable school. You will treat all students, not only those of your house, with both respect and dignity. You will not ask them unfair questions they can't possibly answer or expect them to come into your class already perfect in the craft you are tasked to teach them. Am I understood?"

"Headmaster..."

"Am I understood, Severus?"

"Yes, Sir," Snape grumbled but there was a lingering bitterness in his voice and expression. Dumbledore could practically hear the potion master's gnashing teeth. The Headmaster decided not to push it.

"Now, Minerva," Dumbledore fixated his Deputy. His gaze was a little softer, but still held a trace of disappointment. "Harry told me he and Mr. Weasley visited you with their valid concern first, yet you didn't act upon it. In the future you will investigate complaints from your students to the best of your ability. If a satisfactory resolution isn't reached, you will bring the concern to my attention. We are here to give the students the best possible learning experience and we can only do that if they trust and look up to us.  
"There will be no repercussions towards Messrs. Potter and Weasley for this incident. Let us strive to put this incident behind us. Severus, here is a sample of the potion you refused to grade. I took the liberty of examining it myself. It's perfectly brewed and deserves nothing less than an Outstanding," he finished with a look that left no doubt about what he expected to happen.

The two Professors left in very different states of mind. Minerva took the reprimand to heart and vowed to do better. She was unhappy with herself that she had let her irritation after a particularly stressful week culminating in her sixth years lesson get the better of her. It was not a good excuse but the only she had.  
Snape was inwardly fuming. In his opinion Potter was an arrogant, attention-seeking brat, just like his father. He felt that Potter had somehow cheated and didn't deserve the 'Outstanding' the Headmaster practically forced out of him. He had no intention to conform to the spirit of the Headmaster's demands, but had to tone it down towards Potter.

Back in the Headmaster's study, Albus Dumbledore entered Harry's memory out of idle curiosity. He once again experienced the abysmal lesson. Severus might be an excellent potions master but he was clearly no teacher. Sadly it had become almost impossible to find competent teachers in the last decades, and not only in Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was no secret that teaching at Hogwarts was not a job but a calling and highly demanding. It paid well enough but a good potions master could make easily the same money at St. Mungos or as a private brewer doing less hours and with enough time for a family. For now he was stuck with Severus.  
Albus briefly wondered if there had been less new potion masters in the last decade but couldn't remember. He had looked into the OWL and NEWT scores during that time and found that while the OWL scores hadn't dropped by much, there were far less NEWT students taking potions. In the past Dumbledore had attributed that to the fact that Snape only accepted students that received an O in their OWLs, another thing that would needed correcting, but now he wondered...

His musings were suddenly interrupted. He had just noticed something strange as he idly watched Harry trying to answer Severus' unfair questions. The boy's gaze was slightly unfocused, as if he watched something floating just in front of him in the empty air.  
With a quick thought, Dumbledore froze the scene and took a closer look into Harry's eyes. Was it a figment of his imagination or was there a very faint orange glimmer in his eyes? He couldn't be sure with all those blasted candles...

He restarted the memory, this time observing Harry very closely. He heard how Harry called Snape a 'creepy git' under his breath and had to smile for a moment, but why did he have the feeling Harry was actually talking to someone and not just airing his grievances?  
And there was the glimmer once again. First there was nothing, but seconds after Snape asked his first question there was no doubt about what Dumbledore saw. It couldn't have been the reflection of a candle since Harry had barely moved at all.

He restarted the memory again, this time he pressed his ear very close to Harry's in an attempt to hear what the boy heard. Again, was it only his imagination or was there a soft murmuring just at the brink of being audible?  
He cursed the limitations of the pensieve, representing the memory as it had been from an outsider's perspective and didn't allow for spells to be used inside. He was certain Harry saw and heard something but without actually reliving the memory as Harry, the Headmaster couldn't be sure what exactly.

A deeply troubled Dumbledore exited the pensieve. He had given his word not to actively seek Harry's secrets and he would keep that promise as long as it was reasonable and Harry remained safe.  
He needed a method to make certain Harry wasn't under any spell influence, without breaking his oath. Since he wouldn't break his word, an indirect way to at least ascertain if the boy was in good health, both in body and mind, had to suffice. An idea started to form, one that pleased the aged wizard very much. It would take care of this problem and another one that had plagued him for years.  
This year, for the first time since the founding of Hogwarts, the school would offer a compulsory medical exam. Poppy's oath as a healer would not allow her to divulge any personal details if there wasn't a good reason for the Headmaster to know. Also the muggleborns could be screened for potentially harmful maladies much sooner than usual, to the benefit of their health.  
Dumbledore wondered why nobody had thought of it before.

* * *

_Friday, September 6, 1991  
14:42  
Aboard the Alexandria, orbiting Earth_

'_... and that's basically what happened inside the pensieve thingy,_' Harry finished his recounting of his experience inside the strange memory playback device.

"Fascinating! It sounds almost like what I experienced during my Meld with Fawkes. I wonder if they are related," Liara gushed. She was very interested in the pensieve, not only because it might help the Asari understand their unique melding powers better, a thing that was still only partially understood, but also because there had been indices that the Protheans were even more attuned to memories than the Asari. One wild theory even speculated that they were able to extract 'memories' out of places, unbelievable as it sounded.

Nevermind the fact that for all intents and purposes Harry vanished off the face of the Earth for almost an hour. Liara had no explanation for that, something that had become increasingly more common.

'_But I don't think it's over. I've seen the look Snape gave me when he came back from Dumbledore. He still hates me and I don't think he will let it go,_' Harry said. '_Anyway, gotta run. It's almost three and I've got to collect Ron before going to Hagrid's. Bye!_'

The connection terminated and Liara's lips curled into a soft smile. It was good to see Harry interact with other kids, something she knew he had missed on Thessia. She was glad that he was making friends, although she was a bit wary of Ron. He wasn't really a bad sort, but insensitive at times and tended to distract Harry. She knew she shouldn't complain. After all Harry did brilliantly in his classes so far and she would see to it that he wouldn't become a slacker like Ron. The boy hadn't even started his assignments that were due next week!

Liara turned back to her interrupted research. The holographic representation of the stone basin still floated in the middle of her work room.  
When Harry vanished from the face of the Earth she had been frantic with worry and immediately researched everything the Potter Library had on pensieves.  
It wasn't much. They were ancient and quite rare, the magic behind them mostly forgotten and if what Harry said about the Headmaster's pensieve was true, it was unique. The Potters owned a normal pensieve but sadly it was stored in a secure vault at Gringotts like all other valuables. To take it out of there, Harry would need to convince his trust manager that he needed it, something Liara couldn't see happening in the near future.

From what little information that was available she gathered they were regarded as little more than curiosities. Unlike the Headmaster's the normal pensieves were very easy to fool and limited in their use. They could be used to share memories like the Asari Knowledge Meld or to keep memories fresh over time, as extracting them saved them from the natural degradation that happened when people forgot the details. Still the device could prove valuable insights if properly studied.

Giving up her search for now, Liara decided it was time to contact Tika. An assistant would help greatly and she was beginning to feel a bit lonely, something that hadn't bothered her for years. Bringing up up the appropriate interface on the room's computer system linked to her omni, she started typing. Then she paused, deleting everything and starting from scratch. She rewrote the same message at least five times but was similarly unsatisfied with each attempt.  
She realized how much she had kept from her friend. Tika didn't even know her real name, since Liara always used an alias when interacting with unvetted people. Due to her mother she was a lucrative kidnapping target after all. In the end she decided to better explain in person and keep things as vague as possible.

_To: ChatikaZorah#Paus#MigrantFleet#s  
From: LiaraHillis#Alexandria#DuvolleLabsShips#s  
Subject: Job offer_

_Dear Tika,_

_How are you? Still feeling the lust for adventure?  
If you are, I might be able to help you. I'm looking for an assistant to help me with my newest project and I thought of you. Your expertise in engineering would help me a great deal as I need to install some heavy equipment on my own, a cruiser grade fusion reactor among other things.  
Sadly, due to corporate policies I can't go into much detail in this unsecured extranet message.  
If you are interested, please contact me soon and we can meet on the Citadel. Duvolle will cover your travel expenses regardless if you take the job or not._

_Hope to hear from you soon,  
your friend,  
Liara_

Liara felt Tika deserved better, considering they had once almost been lovers, but for now the message would have to do. Besides it had been almost ten years since they last saw each other face to face.

"Doctor, Harry is calling you," Glyph, her Research VI announced, it's drone body floating in front of her. Originally it had been a simple drone VI designed by Tika to digitize books but since she had integrated it into her old a-personal Research VI she had decided to keep the personality Tika had originally given it.  
She let it open the connection.

'_Hey Liara,'_ Harry greeted her. Liara could see that he was back in his hideout, apparently just returned from his visit with Hagrid. '_Listen, remember when I was at Gringotts with Hagrid and Remus, and Hagrid took some small package from this big vault for Dumbledore? Well, have a look at this!_'

Harry transferred the image of a clipping from the Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper. It was about a break-in at Gringotts on the same day Harry had been there. Apparently nothing had been stolen since luckily 'the vault that had been searched had in fact been emptied the same day.'

'_Strange coincidence, don't you think?_' Harry hedged, observing how Liara reacted to the news. '_Do you think they were after the package Hagrid took from that vault?_'

"Harry..." Liara exclaimed in exasperation.

'_No listen,_' Harry interrupted with fervor. '_I've heard the Weasley twins talking about that third floor corridor that's been closed off. They say there is a locked door that can't be opened but they could hear growling behind it. I bet that package is hidden there and has some kind of animal guarding it._'

"Harry, even if that's true, it's none of your business," Liara tried to make him see reason. "_Please, please_, don't get yourself into trouble!"

'_Alright, I won't,'_ Harry said sullenly. '_But you have to admit it's probably true._'

"Yes it seems likely, but that doesn't change the fact That. It's. None. Of. Your. Business," Liara stated with finality.

* * *

**Codex: **

_Galactic Unique Identifier:_ The Extranet's version of the email address or URL. Unlike a web or email address it's context sensitive so the same address may be used to write a message, open a call, visit a personal 'homepage' or newsfeed. The GUI is unique but not permanent and a person may have more than one even if they are usually linked. Most people actually have at least three - one private, one for work and one depending on their current location.  
The GUI is derived from ever smaller groups and subgroups, divided by a hash symbol (I might have used or . but ffnet doesn't like them). The most basic group is a person. Higher groups can be neighborhoods, ships, corporations, cities, fleets, planets and finally the so called supragroups that are similar to national top-level domains (like . de or . co .uk) with the special #s group that holds every spaceship on the move or outside settled space.

* * *

**AN:** I've taken some inspiration from Iron Man for Harry's virtual workspace. Imagine the awesome holographic interface Tony Stark uses to design his suits only virtual and with an orange tint.  
I guess this Harry is a bit like Tony, now that I think about it. Not as self-centered though. I didn't set out to make him like that but there is no denying that there are similarities. Alone the soundtrack tells it all. AC-DC is just awesome and the 'Shoot to Thrill' scene at the beginning of Iron Man 2 was perfect.

Corporations that aren't part of the ME canon are taken from EvE Online.

Weekdays are the real ones from 1991. Checked with wolframalpha.

Snape is slightly more antagonistic towards Harry because the boy isn't as meek as in canon, so the greasy git believes he's even more arrogant.

Why does Dumbledore act upon hearing about Snape's behaviour? Two reasons:  
First, he doesn't have as much control over Harry, so he would be more inclined to hear him out to make a good impression. Also he still feels a bit guilty about leaving him with the Dursleys. Canon Dumbledore might never have found out about the cupboard, as the mail seems to be automatically generated by magic. Only with muggleborns some human intervention is needed.  
Second, in this story he is a genuinely good guy that cares about his students. He might be a bit old-fashioned at times but thanks to keeping up with the muggle world he accepts revolutionary concepts much more easily.  
So why hasn't he acted in canon? Because nobody told him how bad a teacher Snape really is. All Harry complained about was how Snape hated him which Dumbledore was aware of. He didn't know that he was an inept teacher. That isn't really all that far fetched. I'm speaking from personal experience here since I had a math teacher that showed some similarities with Snape, and nobody even thought of complaining to the rector or any other teacher. It was just one of the things you had to endure as a student. Most of my class paid for that with bad grades in our finals. Stupid in hindsight.

Here's a thought: We know that each subject is taught by a single Professor and that Saturday is probably a lesson-free day. We also know that for most classes two houses share a timeslot but it's possible that NEWT classes are shared by all. That means each core subject Professor has a minimum of 12 (5*2+2) classes to teach.  
Assuming a 40 hours week for each Professor (that's 40 hours spent in the classroom, not counting preparation, correction and other duties in the school) and 45 minutes periods, each subject can't have more than 4 periods on a student's timetable. With six core subjects that's 24 periods or 18 hours in the classroom, not counting Astronomy and the electives later. I would guess History, Astronomy and the electives have actually only 2 periods.  
For the students that's actually a normal timetable, bit less than usual maybe but not outrageously so. However, I can practically guarantee that the teachers will suffer from burn-out syndrome after a single year. I know that for every hour in the classroom almost another hour is spent on preparation, correction of homework or administrative things. And that's for a teacher in a normal school, not a boarding school where the teachers have to supervise the kids outside school hours as well. Considering this, it's pretty obvious Snape could never have substituted for Lupin in PoA. He simply wouldn't have had the time.

This means for this story the schedule is more like at university. Sometimes you have the good luck of late classes and an early evening and sometimes things suck and the day starts at eight and doesn't end until six, but instead of a continuous block it's broken up by useless rest periods that are insufficient to get things done properly.  
I reckon they could have organized it so that the younger years have their lessons in the morning, but at least Herbology is scheduled for afternoon in canon. I'll just put it down to wizards being barmy.


End file.
